When I Talk To You
by Lady of the Ink
Summary: **Epilogue** V/H Six years after Chapter 14, everyone's lives have continued moving forward. Van, Hitomi, Corey, Merle, Mr. and Mrs. Kanzaki; all have made important decisions. Find out what they are in this final installment of "WITTY"
1. Remember Me?

**Title:** When I Talk To You  
**Author:** Lady of the Ink  
**Pairing:** V/H  
**Category:** Action/Adventure/Romance, with some good angst thrown in for flavor J  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.

**Chapter One**  
_Remember Me?_

* * *

Corey Kanzaki suppressed a shudder as he neared the front door of the Zymen Institute. It looked like every other building on the block, with its stark brick and mirrored glass. Completely generic and unremarkable . . . unless you knew what it contained.

Squaring his shoulders, he pushed open the front door, making his way to the massive desk that sat exactly in the center of the room. A woman in a white lab coat, her blonde hair pulled tightly back, gave him a small nod as she passed him a sign in sheet. Taking a pen from the holder, he scrawled his name across a blank line, idly noting that it was the only one on the page.

Replacing the pen, he passed the sheet back to the woman, who pushed a button somewhere out of his line of sight. A loud buzz sounded, signaling the opening of a lock. Moving to the left, he went through a now open metal door and headed down a long hallway. The only sound was the squeak of his sneakers on the waxed floor.

The door he wanted was the next to last one on the right side. Only a small plaque reading "116" marked it as different from the others like it. Turning the knob, he stepped into the dimly lit room. While waiting for his eyes to adjust to the change of light, he took a deep breath. When he did, his lungs filled with the flat, oppressed air that came to all closed in spaces.

Tamping down the burning anger that rose within him, Corey strode across the small stretch of space between himself and the window. Yanking on the cord to the bland blind, bright afternoon sunlight filtered in. For a long moment he paused, staring at the brick wall just inches away that constituted a view, bracing himself for what came next.

He turned to face the bed, the main focal point of the room. Lying on the white sheets, his sister looked frail and pale. Dark half circles stood out beneath her eyes, the only color left in her face. Her hair, once a shining cap, now lay in a dull halo around her head.

Looking away, Corey moved to the single chair, pulling it up beside the bed. Sitting down, he took one of Hitomi's hands between both of his own, slightly startled to feel how cool it was.

"Hitomi," he whispered, leaning towards her. "Hitomi, wake up."

At the sound of his voice, her eyes fluttered open. The green depths, so like his own, were cloudy and unfocused. Her head rolled languidly to the side, the only sign of recognition that she showed.

Swallowing hard, he squeezed her hand lightly. "Hey, big sister. Sorry I'm late today, but I missed my bus."

Having to force a smile and a cheerful voice in the face of her blank expression was one of the hardest things he had ever had to do, but he did it. She wouldn't notice if the smile never reached his eyes and was a little strained, or if his voice was a little too bright. After all, Hitomi didn't really notice anything anymore.

After a short pause, he began to talk about his day. Every stupid little detail from what he had for lunch to the color of the gum he'd found stuck to his shoe was related in a cheery tone. It was the same sort of conversation he'd carried on yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, but she wouldn't care.

Their lives were the same like that, stuck in a routine. Every morning he'd get up, grab something to eat on the way to school, then sit through a million dull classes. Afterwards, he'd catch a bus down here to spend time with Hitomi every day, to talk to her. He always hoped that some part of her knew he was there, knew that she wasn't alone, wasn't forgotten.

But if he were truly honest with himself, he'd have to admit that these visits were as much for himself as they were for her. He needed to keep the link between then them strong, especially now. He had to feel connected to the one person who had always been there for him, had always understood him.

It was also sort of his way of paying her back for all the things she'd done for him over the years. Sticking up for him when older kids decided he'd be fun to tease, convincing their parents to let him take karate lessons. Even the time she'd taken the blame for a broken window so he could go to a friend's birthday party. Corey wanted nothing more than he wanted Hitomi to wake up, really wake up. To laugh and smile, to complain about homework and ramble on and on about boys and track.

But most of all, he wanted her to understand him when he told her how much he needed her to be a part of his life.

_Later that afternoon . . ._

Corey pushed open the door to his family's apartment. He knew without looking that his mother would be in the kitchen, working on dinner. His father wouldn't be home for at least another twenty minutes. Shutting the door with a barely audible click, he headed straight back the hall to his room. Gone were the days of yelling "Mom! I'm home!", then joining her in the kitchen to talk about his day at school.

That had stopped the day Hitomi left. In fact, a lot of things stopped that day two months before. Like him trusting his parents.

Making it to his room, he dropped his bag on the bed before taking a seat at his desk. For the second time that day, Corey found himself staring out the window, only this time it wasn't a brick wall holding his attention. It was the sky. His thoughts drifted back to a few days before things got really bad. He'd confronted Hitomi about her strange mood. It took awhile, but he finally wore her down into telling him everything.

It had just poured out like something too long bottled; this amazing tale of another world hidden behind the stars. A place where dragons still roamed, real knights trained, and a war had been fought. It sounded impossible, too odd to have really happened, let alone to his sister. But she'd been so earnest, so eager for him to believe her that he couldn't bring himself to think she was lying. Her story never changed, her sincerity never seemed forced or fake.

He could almost picture the people she spoke of. The dark haired boy king to whom she'd given her prized pendant (there was definitely more to that story than she was telling, he knew). The long haired knight whose honor came before all else. The pink haired cat girl, annoying burglar but unflinching loyal friend.

It had never been a problem for him to accept them as real. It had taken time for it to sink in, but after that, he found he rather liked the idea of another world existing out there, full of a million things he'd yet to dream of. Unfortunately, his mother didn't share the same opinion. One day she happened to overhear the siblings talking about Gaea and she went off like a loaded cannon. He didn't remember a lot of the speech she gave, most of it being shouted or just plain unintelligible. But he did recall something about not letting some imaginary land ruin another generation of her family.

Hitomi had explained later on about their Grandmother's own trip to Gaea, and the fact that their mother had never believed it. That was one of the many things that had led to the two of them not speaking for years at a time. On a completely impersonal level, Corey supposed he could understand his mother's point of view. She had already lost one relationship with a family member over Gaea, she certainly didn't want to lose another. But he didn't get how strongly she resisted even thinking about the possibility of it being real.

He was very surprised at the lengths she was willing to go to to convince them they were wrong. She scheduled an appointment with a psychiatrist who spent the entire hour talking about delusions and the strength of the human desire to believe in the impossible. Since he himself had never seen Gaea or any of the things it held that defied explanation, Corey'd had no problem nodding his way through the session.

Hitomi was a different story.

He guessed that having everyone tell you you're delusional and that the people you had come to care for weren't real would grind on anyone's nerves. For Hitomi, it was the last straw. She wound up screaming at both her mother and the shrink, calling them narrow minded fools who wouldn't know a melef from a hole in the ground. That outburst cost her a weekly appointment and a month of total grounding. She hadn't spoken to anyone but him since.

Even then, things would have settled down eventually if it weren't for the dreams.

Hitomi spoke of them in whispers, dark dreams that haunted her every time she closed her eyes. She said they felt more like visions, only they never came when she was awake. The people on Gaea were in trouble, she said. The connection she had shared with Van after her return was suddenly broken, and it was driving her crazy to not be able to warn them. She became edgy and tense, losing sleep every night. It became worse and worse until finally, she wouldn't even get out of bed. Nothing seemed to get through to her. She just lay there, day after day, staring at nothing.

When their mother sent her to the institute, Corey had argued for days with no effect. It burned like an open wound to think that his own mother might be allowing the trouble over Gaea urge her into signing away her only daughter rather than face what had happened. He swore to himself that he would bring his sister home as soon as he could, mother or no mother. She needed fresh air and time to think, not mind numbing drugs and a bed she never got to leave. But it was clear that she needed one thing above everything else.

Hitomi had to get back to Gaea.


	2. Feels Like Forever

**Title:** When I Talk To You  
**Author:** Lady of the Ink  
**Pairing:** V/H  
**Category:** Action/Adventure/Romance, with some good angst thrown in for flavor :)  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.

**Chapter Two**  
_Feels Like Forever_

* * *

Merle switched the basket she carried from one arm to the other as she neared her destination. The group of workers were gathered around the well, taking turns getting drinks of the cool water. Sweat glistened on their faces and arms, testimony to the morning of hard work they'd already put in at this early hour. Lord Van was slightly apart from the others, but whether it was by his choice or theirs, she couldn't guess.

Lord Van had changed. It had happened so subtlety that even she, his closest friend, hadn't noticed. He became quieter, spending more and more time alone. And although there was nothing new about that, his attitude while around people was. His temper grew shorter and he began to snap at everyone around him. Even though he still attending to all matters of the country, it just wasn't with the same feeling as before.

It felt like some part of him had gone missing, and when Merle caught him sitting by himself in a certain glade, staring at the night sky, she figured she had a pretty good idea of what part that was. While she had resented Hitomi intensely upon her arrival, Merle had come to see that the other girl was really a good person. She cared about the people she met even when they were less than civil to her in return.

And though she would never admit it, Merle had come to feel an affinity to Hitomi. She, herself, knew all too well what it felt like to be judged on just one part of who you were. The way she was treated because of being a cat girl wasn't that different from the way Hitomi was treated for being from the Mystic Moon and knowing the future.

More than any other person in her life, Merle cared about Lord Van. He had always been there, first as friend, then as her first crush, now like a brother. To see him in pain caused her pain, and they were both hurting now. There was no worse feeling than being helpless to help.

Her foot caught on a rock in the path, bringing her out of her inner thoughts quickly. She had reached the men, who watched her without saying anything. Lord Van didn't even seem to notice her presence as he stared broodingly towards the trees. Setting down the basket containing thick sandwiches and assorted sides, Merle moved to her oldest and dearest friend. Without giving him time to react, she gripped his arm and pulled him even farther off the track.

Ignoring his protests, she pushed him onto one of the few remaining stumps in a newly cleared field. Turning to glare at him, she placed one fist on either hip, her legs spread in a fighter's stance.

"Something is wrong, and I want to know what it is. You have been in the most awful mood for weeks, snapping at everyone who gets within three feet of you. Everyday, you come out here, working hard enough for five men. If I didn't know better, I'd swear you're trying to kill yourself with this pace. You are going to sit in that spot until you tell me what's the matter. I mean it," she added, pushing him down when he would have gotten up. "Not one muscle twitch until you tell me everything."

For a long moment, he didn't move, a mulish expression on his face. Merle had seen it before; she wasn't impressed. She just gave him her own version of that look back. When she knew that he was finally paying attention to her, she crossed her eyes, sticking her tongue out as far as it would go. A snort of laughter escaped Van before he could stop it, helping to break the tension that had developed after Merle's decree.

"It's something to do with Hitomi, isn't it?"

One hand drifted to the chain barely visible around his neck before he answered. "Something's wrong, Merle. For awhile, I could picture her in my mind, just like she taught me, and I could see her. There, on the Mystic Moon. Sometimes she would be at school, or running, or at home. I could talk to her, like she was sitting next to me. But then it stopped."

"Stopped?" Merle prodded, when it seemed like he wouldn't go on.

"I couldn't see her anymore. No matter how hard I tried, it was like hitting a wall. At first I thought maybe she was blocking me out. That she didn't want to talk, or was too busy." A look of sadness crossed his face at this sentence, and Merle laid a hand on his shoulder. "But I don't think she would do that, not so suddenly. She would have told me to back off. Right?"

This was a delicate situation, so Merle took a moment to map out her words. If she told him Hitomi was probably just too busy for him, it would be a major blow to someone who was already down. Besides that, she didn't think Hitomi would do something like that. The other girl had seemed to care as much for Van as he did for her. Even if she did want a break, she would be honest and tell him so.

But the only option that that left was that something was wrong. Hitomi wasn't answering because she couldn't answer. Maybe the link had just been broken because of time, or maybe it was something more ominous. The world Hitomi had spoken of had sounded far from being the safest place to live. Anything could have occurred, and they would never know for sure.

Sighing under her breath, Merle spoke carefully. "I'm sure that she's okay. Maybe she's trying just as hard to reach you, and you're missing each other. It could just be that you need to take a break, or something. A few weeks off, and it'll go back to the way it was."

The look on Van's face said he wasn't encouraged. Truth be told, neither was Merle. Now that she knew the situation, something was telling her that the worst was truly yet to come.

Rebuilding an entire country was not an easy feat. Doing that with half the people unsure of your abilities as ruler was almost impossible. Putting a plan into action, Van had organized several crews of workers and given every type of building an urgency rating. Storehouses and defensive walls were first, homes for the people second. Businesses were third, along with schools and public temples. In an act that had swayed more than one mind over to his side, Van had declared that the castle was to be one of the last things to be rebuilt. Even so, he needed a place to live.

A modest two story townhouse seemed to be the perfect solution. It was small enough to be completed quickly, but large enough to meet all the requirements for governing. Three bedrooms, a kitchen, a small parlor, study, and a conference room made up the building, and it had become rather cozy.

Merle was in the study now, watching as Van stared out the window, idly swinging the pendant in slow loops. It was the same thing he had been doing since she dragged him away from working this morning, and she was beginning to be more worried than before. She'd been thinking and thinking, but there was only one thing she could come up with that would solve all their problems.

Hitomi had to come back to Gaea.

* * *

Next Chapter: Since the Days


	3. Since The Days

**Title:** When I Talk To You  
**Author:** Lady of the Ink  
**Pairing:** V/H  
**Category:** Action/Adventure/Romance, with some good angst thrown in for flavor.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.

A/N: Someone asked about their ages; I forgot to note it in earlier chapters, but it's two years later. Hitomi and co. are hitting seventeen; everyone else is also two years older. For this story, Hitomi's brother is a year younger then her, so he's sixteen.

**Chapter Three**  
_Since The Days_

* * *

Corey sighed as he made his way through the crowded mall. Tomorrow was Hitomi's seventeenth birthday. Even though he knew she probably wouldn't realize it, he didn't want to just skip the occasion. That was why he was braving the afternoon crowd to find just the right gift. The bookstore was out of the question; so was clothing. He wanted something she would appreciate, but nothing too uninspired. It had to be special.

As he headed for the south end, he found himself pausing at the window to a small jewelry store. Hitomi had treasured her pendant so much, it meant a lot that she had given it away. Maybe he could find one that would come to mean just as much.

He moved inside the store, feeling a little out of place amongst all the small displays. As he looked around helplessly, a bright glint caught his eye. Turning in the direction he had come from, he noticed a rack of silver chains, each with a different charm. Thinking that there might be one having something to do with running, he began to look through them.

Halfway down the line, one caught his attention. It was a delicate feather made of string-thin strips of silver so delicate, it moved almost like the real thing. And even though it was nothing like what he had had in mind, Corey found he couldn't walk away from it. There was just something right about it.

Never one to question the feelings like this that came on occasion, he picked it up and headed to the counter. He never even had a second thought as some inner voice told him it was perfect. It was so perfect, he almost couldn't wait to give it to her.

* * *

The sky was a swirling mass of red and deep blue, the same shades as a fresh bruise. Dark towers of smoke were barely visible against it, wavering their way upward from the snapping, growling fires spotting the ground.

Corey found himself standing in the midst of this scene of destruction. Smoke burned his throat and stung his eyes while the screams of unseen people resounded within his ears. Turning in circles, he could see nothing through the haze. An intense feeling of being alone swamped him, making him feel hopeless, lost. Afloat in a world that he was no longer truly a part of.

Like Hitomi must feel.

As soon as that thought registered within his mind, he was moving. He wasn't walking, but somehow floating forward at a rate reminiscent of a speeding car. A vague portion of his mind noted that this must be what a ghost moved like. Buildings, some in various states of being burned, passed by in a blur of color.

He found himself in the middle of a crowd of people forming a rough line. Looking closer, he saw them passing buckets of water up and down the line, trying to douse the flames. Even from his distance, Corey could see that they were fighting a losing battle. It was only a matter of time before the flames took firm hold and the people were forced to retreat.

His eyes caught a flash of pink. Turning slightly to get a better view, Corey found himself looking at one person in particular. It was a boy, maybe a year or two older than himself. He was at the front of the line, closest to the fire. His face was dark with soot, almost as dark as the black hair plastered to his head with sweat. Around his neck hung Hitomi's pendant.

"Van."

The name was nothing more than an eerie whisper of sound in his ear, but Corey recognized the voice immediately. Hitomi's voice.

No sooner had that registered than a loud, ominous creaking thundered through the air. With a thud as final as anything he'd ever heard, the top two floors of the building the people were working to save collapsed in on itself. Unable to move or even look away, Corey watched in horror as the front third of the line was buried under a heap of smoldering rubble.

"Van!!" Hitomi's disembodied voice wailed, pain liberally lacing the single word.

Before the echoes died away, Corey was being moved somewhere else. Moving through the entire town took only a moment. Soon he was passing through a forest, over mountainous terrain. He was close to the ground, flinching as trees that should have slammed right into him instead seemed to be made of nothing more than mist. Or, to be more accurate, he was made of mist.

A moving form was directly in front of him, racing so quickly it was just a blur of orange-ish tan color. He could hear whatever it was pulling in quick, panting breaths. A crash came from behind and the form sped up, a mewling cry that gripped his attention floating up towards him. Turning without thought, Corey found himself face to face with an approaching mob. Men with thick clubs and swords clutched in their hands pounded their way through the brush, intent on catching their quarry.

"Merle."

At Hitomi's voice, Corey twisted back to the streak, moving close enough to make out a furry face, pink hair, and orange dress. Now that he was focusing, he could clearly make out the half-cat, half-girl running on all fours. Tears were streaming across her face as she struggled to get away. He could feel the fear radiating off her, fear for her very life. From behind came the thicker, darker waves of anger and hatred that were worse than the smoke from earlier. This was a group of people intent on hurting someone just for being different. He didn't know how he knew this; he just did. Just as he knew he was going to stop it. Somehow.

He was moving again, being torn away so fast his surrounding were just a blur. He stretched one hand out to Merle, desolate at the thought of leaving her helpless, but she was already gone. He was floating now, in a place made of what seemed like glowing fog. It felt like someone was there with him, and though he couldn't see her, he felt Hitomi's presence.

"They're in trouble, and I can't help them." The voice was no longer outraged. It had settled into a deep despondency, so full of sorrow that Corey could feel his own eyes fill with tears at the heartbreaking sound. As Corey found himself being pulled away for the final time, the last thing he heard was Hitomi's whisper.

"Help me."

The Zymen Institute was as depressing as ever, but Corey didn't notice as much now. He went through the sign in routine, even though the woman had to know him by sight. His foot tapped an impatient rhythm as he waited for the door to unlock. He almost ran down the hallway, slowing only after getting a dirty look from a janitor mopping the floors.

Pushing open the door, he moved inside, going straight to Hitomi's bedside. Ignoring the chair, he sat on the bed itself. When Hitomi opened her eyes, he stared intently into them. "Do you remember? Were you really there last night, in my dream? Was that what you saw that scared you so badly?" Hitomi didn't move, gave no outward sign that she'd heard him. Sighing dejectedly, Corey summoned a halfhearted smile.

"Happy birthday, big sister." Reaching into his pocket, he wrapped his hand around the package there. "I didn't wrap it or anything, but I hope you like it." Pulling the small chain from the plastic bag, he dangled it over her head so she could look at it. To his surprise, it seemed as though she were doing exactly that. Her eyes swayed back and forth with the feather, seeming almost hypnotized by it. He hoped that that was a good sign.

Leaning over, he began to fasten it around her neck. As he sat back, he saw one hand drift to the necklace, loosely clutching the feather. Corey waited to see if anything else would happen, but she just lay there, unmoving. Sighing with regret, he stood.

"Well, I hope you like it. I'll see you tom-" His words were cut off as her free hand shot out to grasp his wrist with a strength he didn't know she had. Looking at him, really looking at him, she spoke her first words in weeks.

"He needs me."

Staring into her tormented eyes, Corey knew that she'd been there last night, had been there many times within her own mind. He knew why the sight had become too much for her to bear. The horror of seeing your friends die, over and over, every night was bad enough. But add to that the knowledge that it hadn't happened yet, and you still couldn't stop it was truly a fate worse than death.

Taking a deep breath, he squeezed her hand tightly. "I know. I'll find a way. I swear."

* * *

Up next: When We Were Friends.


	4. When We Were Friends

**Title:** When I Talk To You  
**Author:** Lady of the Ink  
**Pairing:** V/H  
**Category:** Action/Adventure/Romance, with some good angst thrown in for flavor.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.

**Chapter Four**  
_When We Were Friends_

* * *

Corey had spent the last hour pacing the floor of Hitomi's room, having slipped inside when his parents were otherwise occupied. He was hoping that something would come to him that would help with his current situation. Things were getting worse, if the dream he'd had the night before was any indication, and time was not a luxury he had to waste.

The fact that real people's lives were depending on him made this that much harder, but he refused to cave under the pressure. He'd always had the feeling that someday, something would happen that would change him. He'd no longer be just Corey Kanzaki, son and little brother. He'd be something more. What that something more would be hadn't been decided yet, but he could almost feel the potential within him. If this was his one shot to do something great, he was going to grab it with both hands and refuse to let go.

Mumbling softly to himself, he plopped down on the bed. He knew what he couldn't do; now he had to focus on what he could do. Take things one step at a time until a solution became clear.

The first thing was obvious; spring Hitomi from the Institute. She was the key to everything, and there was little he could do without her. Getting her out would be hard, but it was all downhill from there. He'd have to find somewhere to take her so that the drugs could wear off enough for her to think rationally. That was a ssuming she'd be able to get through the depression that had seen her bedridden in the first place. Then they could work together on the next step.

Taking deep, calming breaths, Corey began to plan the escape. An idea had started to unfold within his mind. And although all the details weren't clear, one thing was. He was going to need help.

* * *

Merle looked at the sky, trying to remember when the Mystic Moon had just been a legend used to frighten children into obedience and not the home of someone she'd met. It seemed like so long ago, although it had been less than three years. She guessed that what they said about hard times making a person old was true. She certainly felt far more aged than a mere sixteen years.

Sighing softly to herself, she slid from her perch on one of the boundary walls, landing silently on her feet. She'd come out here hoping to find Van, only to have just missed him. He'd spent most of the afternoon finishing this exact section of wall, a helpful worker told her. The man had seemed impressed that someone so young had managed to do most of the work himself, and still been able to walk home. Stupid men. Pushing themselves too hard, and patting someone else on the back for doing the same. Merle rolled her eyes in the dark, then frowned as her dark mood swung in again.

Lord Van hadn't gotten any better in the week since their talk. In fact, he was pushing himself harder than ever. He was doing so much in so many places that Merle had a hard time tracking him down, let alone corning him for another lecture. She was getting really worried. The last time he'd bothered to make an appearance at dinner, she'd been stunned by the dark circles that ringed his eyes and the pinched look about his mouth.

Kicking at a rock that lay in the middle of the path, she sighed again. There had to be something . . .

A small bit of shimmer caught her eye. Moving forward, her vision excellent in the dark, she quickly found what she'd seen. Hitomi's necklace. Lifting it in her hand, she watched it swing in a gentle arc; "One swing for every second," she could almost hear Hitomi say.

Clutching it tightly in her fist, Merle straightened. Lord Van must have dropped it sometime today while he was working. She didn't think he would have left it here on purpose, no matter how agitated he'd become. Running her fingers along the chain, she found a snapped link, adding credibility to the lost theory. She should probably get it back to him as soon as possible. If she could find him, that is.

That thought brought back the reason she couldn't locate him, and she felt her stomach tighten up again. If only Lord Van could hear from Hitomi again, just a little message to let him know she was okay, things would be so much better. He could slow down and rest until he got his strength back. Maybe he could return to that laughing, happy boy he'd once been. If only . . .

As she continued along the path, a little faster now, her eyes kept drifting upward. She had just reached the middle of the town when she saw them. Two lightning fast, brilliant flashes of blue light winked across the night sky. Merle blinked, almost sure it had been a trick of light. But as she stood there, the pendant in her hand seemed to hum, giving off the palest pink glow.

Her breath catching in her throat, Merle turned and ran to find Van.

* * *

Corey turned to look at Yukari, making sure she was ready. She nodded slightly, and they both began to walk slowly towards the Zymen Institute. They had to get inside without raising any suspicions, which seemed simple enough until you tried to do it with a flock of butterflies dive-bombing in your stomach.

Trying to boost his morale, Corey reminded himself of his successes so far. He'd come up with a sound plan, simple enough to be accomplishable. And though finding an accomplice had seemed like it might be really difficult, he'd lucked when Yukari agreed almost immediately.

"Hitomi and I may not be as close as we were, but she's still my friend," she'd told him on the phone. "I know that something is seriously wrong, and it's not anything that dumb place is going to help with. If you think you can bring back the old Hitomi, I'll do everything I can to lend a hand."

Which was how they both came to be signing in at the Institute, waiting nervously while the woman behind the desk unlocked the door. If she was surprised to see more than one visitor, it didn't show on her face. Corey could only hope her apparent indifference was real and would last for the next half hour or so.

The hallway was blessedly empty as they made their way to the end. When they had slipped inside Hitomi's room, Corey moved to the bed as Yukari removed her sweatshirt and loose pants to reveal another outfit underneath. As soon as Corey leaned against the mattress, Hitomi's eyes fluttered open. Giving her a small smile, he pulled her into a sitting position as Yukari handed over the sweatshirt. Putting it over her head, he tried to explain what they were going to try, even though he didn't know how much she would understand.

"You're going to have to try and walk for awhile, okay? As soon as we leave this room, you have to try and act like Yukari. We'll only have one shot at this, big sister, and we need to make it count." As she gazed up at him, he could have sworn he saw a spark of understanding kindle in her eyes.

Feeling slightly more confident, he helped Yukari finish the transfer of clothing. They had just assisted Hitomi from the bed when Yukari spoke.

"I'm not so sure about this hiding in someone else's room thing. I mean, what if they wake up and scream or something? I don't want to cause permanent damage to some poor person thinking I'm a robber, or a monster, or something."

"Everyone here is like Hitomi was. They're all in deep comas, so I doubt they'll wake up. It's the only way this will work without you getting caught. If you're in here, they'll find you for sure. At least this way, you have a chance of getting out without being identified."

Yukari sighed, blowing a lock of hair out of her eyes. "I understand, but still . . ." Grunting slightly, she shifted Hitomi's weight as they began walking her around the room. After five minutes, the other girl was beginning to take small steps with them, a good sign that this whole thing might work out after all.

Twenty minutes later, everything was set. Yukari had slipped into the room next door, crouching low to the floor "just in case." She'd wait for ten minutes, then find a way to slip out. Hitomi seemed more energetic than she had in the past month, actually responding when he said her name or took her hand. As they moved down the hall, he supported as much of her weight as he could as casually as possible. The hardest part would be getting through the door without getting caught.

Hitomi kept her head ducked so that the sweatshirt's hood shaded her face in the dark hallway. When the woman looked askance at him, Corey hurried to think of an excuse. "She's not feeling so well, and she hates to have anyone see her when she's sick. It's gotta be a girl thing, right?" Forcing a small laugh, he tried to look casual until the woman gave a nod and what could almost have passed for a smile.

He didn't breath again until the lock clicked and they were on their way across the lobby. The first brush of early evening air against his face felt as sweet to him as if he'd been locked inside for days. He could only imagine what it felt like for Hitomi, as she seemed to perk up even more.

As a great wave of relief washed over him, Corey laughed out loud, just enjoying the feeling of success. A quiet sound startled him until he realized what it was. Beside him, Hitomi was laughing too. It sounded a little rusty, but he didn't care. They'd done it! She was out! Sure, there were a million things that came next that could go wrong, but right then, in that instant, they didn't matter. The first step was over.

They were almost to the corner when Corey felt a strange sense of weightlessness assail him as everything slowly went black.


	5. Don't Understand

**Title:** When I Talk To You  
**Author:** Lady of the Ink  
**Pairing:** V/H  
**Category:** Action/Adventure/Romance, with some good angst thrown in for flavor.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.

**Chapter Five**  
_Don't Understand_

* * *

The ground was wet and hard. The air was cold, and he was going to one heck of a pain in his neck when he got up. Groaning to himself, Corey managed to raise up on his elbows. At his first look at his surroundings, bathed in the gentle wash of early evening, he swallowed hard. Blinking quickly a few times, he confirmed that he wasn't seeing things; he was actually sprawled at the side of a path.

Nothing special there, but the fact that the path led to the city from his dream was a little less ordinary. He tried to take a deep breath, only to inhale a cloud of dust a horse went thundering past, missing his head by mere inches. Tamping down the urge to jump up and give the guy a piece of his mind, he slid a little more deeply into the weeds surrounding him. And that turned out to be a good thing as the horse turned, came back towards him, then jerked to an abrupt stop.

Corey jumped a little as two boots slammed to earth inches from his head. Choking back his cry of surprise, he waited to see what would happen next. Judging from the deep voice muttering what might have been swearwords, the mystery person was a not-so-happy guy. While he watched, the other person scratched at the ground with a toe, then started wandering around, almost like he was looking for something.

A small breeze had begun to blow, and Corey hoped it wouldn't mess with the tall weeds that continued to hide him. As soon as that thought registered, a particularly hard gust came. Closing his eyes, Corey held his breath, wishing with all his strength that the rider would keep looking the other way.

When a small silence stretched into a longer one, he dared to open one eye . . . Only to find himself staring down the length of a lethally sharp sword.

* * *

The boy was sprawled beside the road, covered with dust. He just sat there, gaping up at him like a fish out of water. Van knew that this boy was no bandit or assassin, but maintained his pose. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with some idiot lurking in the roadside weeds. Merle had been hounding him for the past several weeks, trying to get him to "open up about his feelings". Telling her to leave him alone had brought no more than an angry glare and a longer lecture the next time she managed to corner him.

Then he found out he'd lost Hitomi's pendant somewhere at one of the places he'd been working. Given the quantity of locations and the amount of time he hadn't noticed it missing, it was becoming doubtful that he'd be able to find it.

A pang shot through him at the thought of losing his last link to Hitomi, but he tamped it down. "It's not like it was doing me any good, anyway." That thought struck home, and he glared harder at the youth in front of him. The boy gulped audibly, and Van fought the urge to laugh. But then, as he watched, the other boy's face seemed to cloud for a moment, and he frowned.

Suddenly, his eyes widened and he stammered out, "Van! You're Van!"

Van stayed where he was, confused. It wasn't unusual for strangers to know his name; after all, he was king. But there was something about the way he'd said it that made him take notice.

"I can't believe I didn't recognize you sooner. I mean, I have seen you for myself . . . Although it was usually dark then, and the smoke made it hard to see." Now he paused, as if suddenly realizing that his companion wasn't following a word of that one-sided conversation. "I know this sounds strange, and I know that you don't know me, or have any reason to believe a word I'm going to say, but, please, listen. My name is Corey Kanzaki. I'm Hitomi's brother."

Van felt the world around him begin to shift and squeeze in on him. The evening air became too thick to breathe. There was a small metallic clang as the tip of his sword smacked into the ground, but Van didn't notice. Two words just kept repeating themselves in his mind.

Hitomi's brother.

Reining in his surprise, Van took his first real look at the boy. His hair was sandy blonde, maybe a shade or two lighter than Hitomi's had been. But the eyes . . . The eyes were the same, a deep, liquid green that somehow managed to convey a depth beyond the norm. He remembered a night, nothing but the sky above them, when Hitomi had spoken of her home. Of her family, a mother, father, and younger brother.

"Hi- Hitomi," Van sighed, unaware that the other boy could hear him. Judging by the look on the young king's face, he was as worried about her as she was about him. Deciding that there was no longer a threat to his safety, Corey got to his feet and began brushing the dirt off himself. As soon as that was done, he looked around, sure that Hitomi would be somewhere nearby. As the seconds ticked off, he become more frantic. There was no sign of her, no depression in the weeds, no scrap of cloth. Nothing.

"Hitomi!" he yelled, straining to hear a reply. "Hitomi!" He gulped in deep breaths, refusing to believe that he'd been brought here without her. Everything had happened so quickly, but she couldn't have been left behind. Not when all of this was for her in the first place.

Van was snapped out of his silence at the sound of Corey's worried voice. He watched as the other boy searched frantically in the dimming light, obviously looking for something. At the sound of her name, Van stiffened. Looking for something . . .

Moving without thought, he grabbed the younger boy by the front of his shirt. "Are you saying Hitomi is here? On Gaea? Right now?" He could hear the urgency in his own voice, but was powerless to stop it.

"She could be. We were side by side. I was holding her hand, then the dizzy feeling came . . . Whatever brought me here . . . It wouldn't have left her behind. Not alone. I mean, she has to be here. She just has to be."

Seeing that Hitomi's brother was in enough of a state without Van going wild on him, he forced himself to take a deep breath. If Hitomi were nearby, she would have answered them when Corey yelled. If she wasn't close, then they'd have to spread out and look for her. But that couldn't be done until morning. Van felt his knees go weak at the thought of an entire night of not knowing . . . She might be a few feet away or a million miles.

"We have to find her." The vehemence in Corey's voice startled Van. His confusion must have shown on his face. "You don't understand. If she's here, she needs us. She's not exactly in the best state for taking care of herself. Anything could happen to her." His voice broke on the last words, and he swallowed hard.

* * *

A deep pounding had taken up residence inside her head, and the heavy throbbing was making it impossible to think. Trying to take a deep breath quickly became another no-no as a sharp pain shot through her ribs. A dim corner of her mind was shouting at her to remember something, but she couldn't focus long enough.

Her world was nothing but blackness and pain, backed with that sense of danger and urgency. She knew she needed to get her bearings, but it was all she could do to keep from slipping back into the well of oblivion she had just risen from.

Time passed; how much, she couldn't begin to guess. Slowly, her headache began to recede, allowing her a few moments of respite. Realizing she was laying face down on some surface, she gathered her strength to roll over. A pained cry was torn from her throat as she moved, and her stomach rolled crazily.

"Don't let me throw up, please don't let me throw up," she silently begged whatever gods would listen. The stars above swirled in a dizzying dance, blurring into loops and flowers, swirls and clouds. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she forced herself to count to ten, then take as deep a breath as she could. It seemed to help, so she repeated the process.

The first multi-colored tendrils of dawn were grasping at the sky by the time she felt confident enough to sit up. A handy tree helped prop her up, the feel of rough bark pressing into her skin a welcome anchor to reality. When she caught her first glimpse of her surroundings, all her hard won calm abandoned her. She could feel her eyes widen and the color drain from her face.

"This. Is. Impossible."

* * *

Next Chapter: All These Changes.


	6. All These Changes

**Title:** When I Talk To You  
**Author:** Lady of the Ink  
**Pairing:** V/H  
**Category:** Action/Adventure/Romance, with some good angst thrown in for flavor.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains. I also don't own the Wizard of Oz, or the Munchkins.  
**Dedication:** To all the reviewers who have taken the time to read this, and tell me what they thought.

**Chapter Six**  
_All These Changes_

* * *

One. Two. Closing her eyes, the girl took a deep breath, and then counted again. One, two. That was one too many, as far as she was concerned. Barely managing to keep from banging her head into the tree, the girl tried to calm down.

Look at the bright side of things, she told herself. You are alive. You're not hurt worse than a few bumps and bruises, and a couple of scratches from your new best friend, the tree. The ground is beneath you, the grass is green . . . and there are two planetary masses hanging in the sky.

She whimpered to herself. Digging her fingers into the dirt, she swallowed the urge to scream like a banshee. Sure, it might make her feel better, but it would also let anything big and scary with lots of teeth know exactly where she was.

Okay, get a grip, she silently ordered herself. You can deal with this. It's not like you have no clues as to where you are. Those things in the sky are the earth and moon. Sure, you shouldn't be able to see the earth; you should be on it, but at least you know you're close.

"Maybe this is Mars," she muttered, thinking over all the headlines she'd seen about scientists finding proof of life there. Of course, they hadn't meant life like on Earth, but really, who knew? This could be some Martian settlement no one else knew about.

Just as visions of little green men heading toward her singing like the Munchkins from the Wizard of Oz began jumping through her mind, the very real sound of footsteps began to approach from behind.

* * *

Van urged the horse to run as fast as he dared. It was now obvious that the boy behind him wasn't much of a rider, and going faster might send their passenger back onto the path. Van tried to keep calm, but knew he was fighting a losing battle.

After all this time, Hitomi could be back on Gaea, and he didn't know where to find her. Night had fallen like a heavy velvet curtain, blanketing the world in darkness that suddenly seemed ominous. Just knowing that she was out there alone made his chest feel tight. He hated feeling helpless!

Add to that the uncertainty of what Corey had meant earlier when he said Hitomi was in no condition to care for herself, and you had one unhappy king. Nothing was going to keep him from getting back to town and then setting off to search.

Except maybe Merle.

As soon as he arrived at the town house, he saw the young cat girl pacing through the window. She was out the door before his feet hit the ground.

"Lord Van, I've been looking for you everywhere! You won't believe what I . . ." Her voice trailed off as she watched a shaky Corey slide gracelessly to the ground. He wobbled for a moment before regaining his balance. Her vision being what it was, it took only a moment for Merle to see the similarities between this boy and another visitor they'd once had.

"That's why there were two," she murmured to herself, thinking back to the lights she'd seen a few hours before. Looking up, she smiled at the two obviously surprised boys. "So, where's Hitomi?"

Watching as Van's face clouded with apprehension and uncertainty, Merle felt a sinking feeling inside her stomach. This could only mean a few things, and none of them were good.

Seeing a head pop out one of the neighboring windows, Merle urged both boys inside. They needed to talk without worrying about being overheard. As the three filed their way into the study, the silence was like a thick, oily cloud. Merle forced herself to take a deep breath and try to control the situation.

"I was looking for you," she began, nodding towards Van, "when I found this." She held up the pendant, jumping lightly back when Van lunged to snatch it from her hand. Waiting a moment while he looked over the broken the chain, she offered a hesitant smile to their visitor. "I don't even know your name."

"Corey; its Corey. And you're Merle. Hitomi told me a lot about you."

"Only the good stuff is true," she replied with a cheeky grin. She was glad to see a small answering smile cross his face. He'd been looking entirely too apprehensive for her tastes. Noting that Van had finished his inspection, Merle continued her earlier train of thought. "What exactly is going on? Where's Hitomi? Why are you here?"

Van was still staring at the pendant clutched in his hand. A flicker of concentration crossed his face, and Merle guessed he was trying to find his connection with Hitomi. Judging from his disheartened sigh, it wasn't going so well. Looking at Corey, she signaled he should start.

The boy sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes. "It's kind of a long story. When Hitomi came back, from here, I mean, she came back to before she'd left. No one remembered her being gone, but she acted differently. She seemed a lot more serious than she'd been before. It took awhile, but I finally got her to tell me what had happened. I guess she knew I would believe her, since our Grandma talked about Gaea when we were younger.

"I knew that she thought that all this," he waved a hand around the room, "was real, but there was still a part of me that said maybe she'd imagined it all. That she thought it was real, but it actually wasn't. But the more she talked about all of you, the more details she brought up, the more real you all became, until it was like I knew you, too."

He offered a small smile, almost an apology for presuming a relationship with them. "It was really nice, sharing this huge secret with Hitomi. We weren't the closest siblings ever, but it made me feel good that she knew she could share something like this with me. That she felt safe enough.

"Everything would have been great, except our mom overheard us one day. I don't know if Hitomi told you, but Gaea was the reason she and Grandma stopped talking. Mom refused to believe this place existed, and hated it when Grandma brought it up. They actually stopped talking for years because of it.

"I always thought it seemed a little harsh for that kind of rift to grow out of one, we thought, pretend place. But then, I was only five or so at the time, so there may have been something I missed. The day Grandma gave Hitomi her pendant was the last time we saw her.

"So my mother was really not happy to hear us talking about it. It was always some unspoken rule that we weren't supposed to bring it up. She got remarkably angry, and wound up sending us to a shrink. That's like someone who listens to your problems and helps you work through them. But it's also who they send crazy people to. People who see things that aren't there, or believe in other worlds."

He laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. "I just nodded my way through, basically letting them think that it was just a game to me. But Hitomi got really mad. I could hear every word of what she was yelling two rooms away. There was a lot of 'How would you know it's not real?', and 'I'm not crazy, I know what I saw.' I guess months of keeping it to herself had just built up, and then the dreams started, and the link between the two of you broke . . . It was too much."

Van leaned forward, and would have spoken, but Corey's raised hand stopped him. If he was going to make it through the retelling, he couldn't stop now. "She got deeply depressed, until it got so bad, she wouldn't even get up in the morning. She just lay there, staring at nothing.

"They sent her away. Her own parents. To this place where people go when no one thinks they'll ever get better. They wouldn't visit her, not even on her birthday. It was like she no longer existed to them. But I went, everyday after school. I'd talk to her, try to let her know she wasn't alone. That I'd be there when she decided to get better."

He swiped halfheartedly at the tears slipping down his cheeks, feeling that helplessness come over him again. "Then I had the dream she'd been having. It was about you guys, in trouble. I knew that to help Hitomi, I'd have to help you. So I got a friend to help me sneak Hitomi out the Institute. I didn't know what I was going to do next, but, as it turns out, I didn't really have to.

"Like three minutes after we got out, there was just this strange, floating sensation and I passed out. When I woke up, you were there, and Hitomi wasn't." He directed his last comment to Van, and then leaned back in his chair.

Merle noted the tense look on both boys' faces, and took control. "There's nothing any of us can do tonight. The two of you are going to get some rest, and we'll start looking at first light." She glared at the obviously unhappy Van. "Not. One. Word. There's not much night left, if you haven't noticed, so it'd not like I'm making you wait a week. You'll be no good to Hitomi if you collapse of exhaustion."

She ushered the two boys to their rooms, trying to keep her own spirits up. She wouldn't allow herself to think about Hitomi being anywhere but on Gaea. They would find her, she would get better, and everyone would be happy again.

It just had to be that way.

* * *

Next Chapter: I'm Still The Same


	7. I'm Still The Same

**Title:** When I Talk To You  
**Author:** Lady of the Ink  
**Pairing:** V/H  
**Category:** Suspense/Romance, with some good angst thrown in for flavor.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.  
**Dedication:** To all the reviewers who have taken the time to read this, and tell me what they thought.

**Chapter Seven**  
_I'm Still the Same_

* * *

Yukari Uchida tensed as the sound of footsteps closed in on her from behind. "Oh, man, oh, man, oh, man, oh, man, oh, man!" she chanted under her breath. Judging by the loudness of the shuffling steps, there wasn't enough time for her to run. Taking a deep breath, she braced herself for the worst.

Whatever she'd been expecting, it certainly wasn't the rotund little man barreling through the thick undergrowth. Small glasses were perched on his bulbous red nose and he had a large pack slung over his shoulder. He was mumbling something to himself, his words too low for her to make out.

For a moment, she thought she'd be lucky and he'd trundle past without noticing her. At the last second, however, he stopped, his nose twitching before turning to face her. She whimpered to herself as he stepped closer, looking her over from head to toe.

"A pretty girl in the forest?" He asked in a high-pitched, singsong-ing voice. "Lucky day, lucky day." When he took another step forward, Yukari couldn't hold in her squeak of fear. It seemed to startle the man into stillness.

For a long moment, he remained motionless, just looking at her. This soon became worse than his advancing, as visions of every possible thing he could do to her flashed through her mind. As far as she knew, there was no one else for miles to hear her if she screamed.

As her gaze darted over his shoulder, looking for anything to help her out of this situation, she saw the sky again, which just made things worse. It reminded her that she was a long, long way away from everything she was familiar with. For all she knew, this man could be the only other person on this entire planet. That thought sank in, and Yukari could feel the blood drain from her face.

The last thing she heard was the man's puzzled question before she slipped into unconsciousness.

"Why do they always do that?"

* * *

Corey lay on the thick feather tick, thinking he would never fall asleep, despite its comfort. How could this have happened? To lose Hitomi when they were so close . . . It was almost unbearable. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her while she was wherever she was. As much as it irked him to admit it, even to himself, she might have been better off staying at the Institute. At least then she would have been safe.

He sighed and flipped over onto his side. It was going to be a long couple of hours until dawn . . .

He stood on a hill that overlooked a forest. The light was dim, heaving clouds making the sky look too heavy to keep its distance from the ground. A chill wind sliced through him, its sharp gusts invisible knives thrown by the angry gods. The trees' leaves were being whipped back and forth by the blasts of air until they took flight, twirling their way into the distance.

Corey turned his head, trying to figure out what was going on. The last thing he remembered was being in bed . . .

He froze, instantly alert. Was this another vision? If so, it was certainly a lot different from the first. What could this be trying to tell him? His last thoughts were of Hitomi, so maybe this was about her.

As that thought came to him, he tried to step forward and get a better view of his surroundings, but something stopped him. Namely the fact that his feet seemed stuck to the ground. He tugged sharply, but they wouldn't budge.

"Okaaaaay," he drawled to himself. "No moving allowed, apparently. So how am I supposed to learn whatever it is that I'm meant to know? Am I just supposed to stand around and feel helpless?"

Thunder boomed through the heavens, the sound so loud he could feel the vibrations to his bones. He shuddered. "I'll take that as a no." Knowing there wasn't much else he could do, Corey swept his eyes over what little land he could see.

Time and again his gaze was drawn to the deepest section of the forest. A sense of familiarity assailed him as he peered into the foliage. Someone was there, someone he knew.

"Hitomi?" he whispered, trying to reach out to her, hoping she would come to him as she had in his other vision. But there was nothing except silence and a feeling of desperation. "Note to self," Corey muttered, still struggling to see anything through the green barrier, "search the forest."

The sarcasm infusing the statement made him feel a little better, even though no one was there to hear it. The vision wasn't really telling him anything he didn't already know. Fanelia was a tree filled country; of course he'd planned on searching the woods!

The ground beneath him began to tremble and shift. He flung his arms out, trying in vain to regain his balance. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I take it back! I didn't mean it!"

Whatever was controlling the vision was not appeased. The ground cracked open with a hiss and an eruption of steam. Suddenly, Corey found himself falling, tumbling head over heels until he couldn't tell up from down. He quickly regretted the mental complaint about being stuck to the ground.

There was nothing but blackness around him, no sensation except that of falling and the wet slither of the steam that still surrounded him. That old question kept running through his mind over and over again. If you die in your dream, do you die in real life?

As he pondered that thought in an I-don't-want-to-die kind of way, he became aware of something intruding on the blanketing silence. It was a well-known sound, but so faint, it was hard to make out. It became slightly louder, and it hit him, both what the sound was, and what it stood for.

It was the ticking of a clock, and it could only mean that time, for someone, was running out. Corey struggled to breathe through the thick, fear-caused lump filling his throat. If that clock was ticking for Hitomi, and she was back on Earth . . .It was worse than knowing Van and Merle were in trouble, because this time, there was no one to blame but himself. If he had just left Hitomi where she was . . .

That thought was cut off as a vicious gust of air from below tossed him into another spin. As he was whirling, the darkness around him seemed to form a picture. He saw Hitomi, laying on her side, one hand resting under her cheek. A small scratch marred her forehead, but there seemed to be nothing else wrong. She looked as though she were only sleeping.

Try as he might, he couldn't make out any details of the background; no hints were obvious as to her location. But he was slightly relieved that she seemed to be okay for the time being. That was something, at least.

The spinning stopped with that thought, and the vision of Hitomi melted back into the darkness like wisps of smoke. His mind was already forming a plan of attack for the next day's search. They could round up some other people, then fan out to search the area. With enough help, they could cover most of the forest by noon.

Brilliant yellow lightning flashed through the darkness, almost blinding him with its intensity. Cringing, he flung up his arms to cover his eyes as the air around him crackled with electricity. "I'll take that as an emphatic 'No' to that suggestion. Was it to the searching part," he paused. Nothing but dead silence. "or was it about asking for help?"

Another burst of lightning flared brightly through his closed eyes. "Okay, so no help. If you were going to cut down the number of people searching, you could have at least shown me something a little more helpful, you know!" He screamed into the darkness. There was no response except the unseen clock, which resumed its ticking.

Then even that faded, and he knew there'd be no more help that night.

Corey hopped from bed the moment he awakened. He knew what he had to do, and he didn't want to waste any time getting to it. As he slipped from the room, the first light of dawn was barely breaking over the horizon. He bumped into Van in the hall, and they nodded to each other before silently making their way downstairs, only to find Merle had beaten them both.

Following the sound of muttering, they entered the study where she was carefully packing bundles with water and food. She knew that once they began searching, neither would want to return for the midday meal, no matter how hungry they were. Corey began to speak as soon as he was fully in the room, starting as though adding on to an ongoing conversation.

"As eager as we all are to find Hitomi, I don't think it's a good idea to involve any of the locals. Even if she saved Gaea, she's still from the Mystic Moon, and from what she told me, that makes a lot of people uncomfortable. I have a feeling that the three of us should be the only ones to know that she may be out there. And don't ask me how I know this, but I think she's okay for now, wherever she is." He saw the questioning looks pass over both his companions faces, but he ignored them. He wasn't sure he understood how he knew what he knew; he sure wasn't going to try and explain it to them.

When he remained silent for a long moment, Merle spoke up. "We should split up, and each search for as long as we can. We'll meet back here at nightfall, or whenever we're too tired to keep looking." The glare she leveled at Van said she was talking to him, and he'd better be listening.

"Where's the nearest hill? You know, one that's tall enough to see a good distance from?" Corey asked, keeping his eyes downcast.

Merle looked at him oddly as Van answered. "There's one not too far from town. It's fairly tall, but you really can't see much from it. Just a chunk of the forest."

"How do I get to it from here?" Van quickly gave him directions as he picked up one of the packs. Unable to rein in her curiosity, Merle asked,

"Is there any special reason you asked?"

Corey remained silent for a long moment, picking up his own bag. When he spoke, his voice was quiet, but steady. "Let's just say I have a feeling there's something there I need to see."

"Hitomi?" Van asked, looking hopeful.

"I'm not sure, but I don't think so. I think I would know if it was her. This felt . . . familiar, but not like her. If that makes any sense." He shrugged his shoulders. "This stuff is all a little new to me. I'm just going with the flow." At the two confused faces in front of him, he almost smiled. "Letting Fate take me where it will."

They nodded, and the three set off on their search, each hoping for the best, but knowing, deep down, that it wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

Next Chapter: No Need To Pretend


	8. No Need To Pretend

**Title:** When I Talk To You  
**Author:** Lady of the Ink  
**Pairing:** V/H  
**Category:** Suspense/Romance, with some good angst thrown in for flavor.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.  
**Dedication:** To all the reviewers who have taken the time to read this, and tell me what they thought.

**Chapter Eight  
**_No Need To Pretend_

* * *

Merle made her way through the nearly silent town after parting from Lord Van and Corey Kanzaki. Many of the citizens were probably just sitting down to breakfast before getting to an early start. She was grateful that there were few people out and about to question her departure. It was rare for her to leave the townhouse before noon an any given day, and even more infrequent for her to go to this morning's destination; the swampy lands that surrounded the thickest forest on its eastern side.

As she started to leave the clusters of houses behind, her mind began to mull over the behavior of Hitomi's brother. He had been strangely adamant about not getting help, even though it would have sped up the search significantly. If she hadn't already been convinced he was related to their old friend from the Mystic Moon, the stubborn look he'd donned would have clinched it. It was identical to the one Hitomi had worn many times during her visit. And if the temperament behind it was the same, there'd be no changing Corey's mind from his set path.

Leaving the well-worn path to move through a field, Merle chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip. It was fairly obvious that he knew something that they didn't, but he'd chosen not to tell them. Was Hitomi really hurt, and he didn't want to worry them?

That idea was discarded almost as quickly as it was brought up. He'd told them he was pretty sure she was okay for the moment, and she'd sensed that that was the truth. He really thought his sister was okay. Or as okay as she could be, given the situation.

Shaking her head, Merle scolded herself. "If you're willing to accept the fact that he's right about Hitomi being all right, then you'd better also accept that it's for the best to have just the three most involved people trying to find her." She adjusted the bag on her back, and then muttered, "Even if it does seem stupid."

The knee-high grass was still wet with drops of dew, and Merle could feel a slight chill setting into her skin. Pausing in her forward hike for a moment, she looked around. Recognizing a few landmarks, she knew there was a small clearing not far from where she stood. If someone had found themselves wondering around this area as darkness fell, that spot would have been the best place to camp for the night.

Hoping with more eagerness than she would admit that the older girl would be there, Merle quickly pushed forward. As she cleared the last few small trees and bushes, she began to scan the area. Seeing nothing, her shoulders drooped and disappointment washed through her. She'd wanted so much to find Hitomi . . .

The sound of a twig snapping directly behind her made Merle tense. Breathing shallowly, she raised herself onto the balls of her feet, ready to make a quick dash to escape. When a hand landed on her shoulder, she whirled around, a scream tearing from her throat as she saw who stood there.

* * *

Van's feet pounded onto the path with as much force as was possible without causing pain. The heavy clumping sound was only vaguely satisfying to his dark mood. This was the one thing he despised above all else. That was having the knowledge that something was wrong, and being unable to immediately jump into action to fix the problem.

He kicked viciously at an unsuspecting rock, watching as it hurtled through the air and into a tree with enough forced to break in two pieces. Sighing, he rubbed his hand over his gritty eyes, blinking a few times to clear them. He hadn't been able to fall asleep last night, or rather, this morning, and it was catching up with him. Added to the point of exhaustion that he'd pushed himself to for the past few weeks, it was amazing that he'd even made it out of bed.

As he'd laid there in the dark room, all he could think about was Hitomi. Seeing her for the first time, watching as she proved her bravery and good heart again and again. He'd known for a long time that there was no other that he could love in the same way. She had taken possession of his heart, and he was happy to have her there.

Their time apart had been difficult, but in some ways, necessary. It had cemented in his mind that what they had wasn't some romance born in the heat of the moment, quick to flare and just as quick to burn out, but one that had been slated for centuries to come to pass. They were supposed to be together, and it was as simple as that. While they were separated, the worlds would continue to turn, the sun would keep shining, and they'd both go on living, but it was all a little less vibrant for their distance.

Raking a hand through his already disheveled hair, Van began to walk again. That same hand dropped to his neck, where the repaired pendant hung once more. Holding the little pink stone tightly in his fist, Van allowed his mind to focus solely on Hitomi. The curve of her cheek, the exact shade of her eyes, her smile . . .

'Van . . .'

Van jerked to a stop, his head whipping from one side to the other, trying to see who it was that had spoken his name. There was no one there. He was alone on the rutted path leading through one of the more barren areas outside of the main town. The lack of obstructions made it easy to see for dozens of feet in all directions, and the only other living thing he saw was a small furry animal that darted into the undergrowth. There was no one that could have called his name.

As he thought about it, he realized that both the voice and the way it had come to him had seemed achingly familiar. "Hitomi?" he whispered to himself, almost afraid to believe. He waited, straining to hear the slightest sound.

There was nothing.

For a long moment, he just stood there, unmoving. Had he imagined the sound of her voice? Was it merely another memory flitting through his mind, so real as to fool him? He frowned. Memory . . .

The instant before the voice had come, he'd been thinking about Hitomi. His fist tightened on the necklace, the stone biting into his hand. Could it possibly mean . . . Closing his eyes, he began concentrating on her again. The sound of her laughter, the way she tilted her head, the feel of her hand in his . . .

'Van . . . I'm here . . .'

Forcing himself to maintain his concentration, he tried to get a feel for where her voice was coming from. 'Hitomi, I'm coming. Keep talking.'

'Find me.'

'I will. I promise.' Following his instincts, he moved in the direction that felt right. As he worked his way forward, he soon left the flat, bare area behind for a rocky section rife with steep inclines. Making his way down one such bank, he slipped, breaking his concentration and forcing him to cover the rest of the ground on his rear. As he finally came to a stop, he regained his feet only to face an astonishing sight.

Before him lay Hitomi, resting on her side. One hand was pulled beneath her chin, pillowing her head. Her eyes were closed, and there was a peaceful expression on her face. Slightly confused, Van paused. If she was asleep, how had she called to him, letting him know where to find her? Did she even know that he was there, or was her subconcious working on its own while she dreamed on, completely unaware?

Pushing all those thoughts from his mind, he allowed himself a moment of relief. She was here. His Hitomi had come back to him, and she seemed okay. All the worries and fears that had assailed him for the last several months seemed to melt away, leaving him feeling lighthearted. A soft smile crossed his face as, moving closer, Van cautiously touched her cheek with gentle fingers. A part of him was half afraid that the vision before him would dissolve into nothingness. But she remained, her flesh warm to his touch.

Unable to resist, he pulled her into his arms, holding her gently but firmly in his embrace. Her face came to rest on his shoulder, her warm breath brushing over his neck. He knew he should get her to his house, should tell Merle and Corey that he'd found her, should do something . . .

But in that moment, he couldn't force himself to move. There was no place he wanted to be more than at the bottom of that hill, cradling her in arms, secure in the knowledge she was fine and that he could keep her safe. Sighing in satisfaction, he rested his head on hers. Time passed unnoticed as he sat there, just holding her close to his heart, determined never to let her go again.


	9. Where'd It Go?

**Title:** When I Talk To You  
**Author:** Lady of the Ink  
**Pairing:** V/H  
**Category:** Suspense/Romance, with some good angst thrown in for flavor.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.  
**Dedication:** To all the reviewers who have taken the time to read this, and tell me what they thought.

**Chapter Nine**  
_Where'd It Go?_

* * *

Less than a half hour after waking up, Corey found himself standing on the very hill he'd dreamed of. Knowing that he was close, he took off at a loping run towards the general area the familiar feeling had come from. He rapidly found himself dodging around trees and small bushes that ripped at his legs as he passed. The farther in he got, the thicker the canopy over his head became. Soon he was walking through near darkness.

An involuntary shudder passed through him as every horror movie he'd ever seen flashed through his mind. "Nothing like an early morning stroll into a dark, unknown forest all by myself to make me feel wide awake," he muttered to himself. As he took another step forward, there was a sharp tug on his leg. Letting out a yell, he whirled to see what had hold of him, only to flush when he saw a small plant with jagged edges twisted into the fabric of his jeans.

"It could have been a monster," he defended himself to himself. "Hitomi talked about all sorts of weird things in the woods here. It could have been anything."

"And yelling so would have helped you scare off any big, mean monsters."

Another yelp escaped Corey's throat as he twisted back into the direction he'd been going. Or would have twisted, had he not still been attached to the amazingly strong little plant. As he turned, it wrapped itself more tightly around him, tangling his legs until he did a less than graceful swan dive to the ground.

Spitting out the mouthful of dirt he'd managed to almost swallow, he looked up to see a rumpled looking Yukari smirking at him. "I give it an 8.5."

"Very funny," he said in a slurred voice, grimacing at the taste of soil in his mouth. Man, he hoped there hadn't been any ants or other bugs in there. As the reality of who was standing before him sank in, he did a sharp double take. "Yukari?! What are you doing here?"

Shaking her head, she sat down cross-legged before him. "I was kind of hoping you could tell me. All I know is that I was hiding in some guy's room, waiting to try and sneak out. Then there was this bright flash, and everything gets a little murky after that. I remember falling, mostly 'cause it hurt, and then I guess I passed out. When I woke up, I was in this forest, looking at a sky that makes no sense. After worrying myself sick, this creepy old guy comes along carrying a huge sack." Corey nodded at her to continue as he began working to untangle himself.

"Well, already being freaked out, it didn't take much to make me faint again.  
Not one word, Sir Screams-Like-A-Twelve-Year-Old-Girl." She glared pointedly at the shrub that was halfway loosened from his leg. Corey quickly closed his mouth. "When I came to that time, the old guy was still there, and he'd made lunch. I was hungry, and he was the only person around, so I hoped he could answer a few questions.

"Turns out he's actually kind of nice. So he tells me about this world; Gaea, I think he called it. And about how it's hidden from what he called the Mystic Moon to keep it from being corrupted from their evil ways, or something like that. I wanted to pass it off as some bizarre old man's demented ramblings, but there was the sky. Two moons when there should have been only one is a pretty good reason to believe what he had to say.

"Then he gets to talking about this 'Great War' that happened a couple of years ago. About how this young king goes to slay a dragon and comes back with a strange girl from none other than the Mystic Moon. A girl who sounds an awful lot like my best friend. And just so happens to have the same name, too. Isn't that an awfully remarkable coincidence?"

Corey would have cut in and tried to explain, but the look on Yukari face expressed more clearly than words that she needed some venting time before she'd be willing to listen to reason. Holding his tongue, he waited for her to get to whatever point she was going to make.

"So he keeps rambling about this girl who could see the future, and read Tarot cards, who saved a lot of people's lives, and basically helps save the world. Then she decides to go home to the Mystic Moon. And all of this happened around the same time that Hitomi began to act differently. I think that seems like a few too many similarities for it all to be a big coincidence. Don't you agree, Corey?"

"Yukari . . ."

"I knew you would," she cut in, a strained laugh following on the heels of the barked reply. Obviously, even she caught the slightly hysterical note in that laugh, because she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You know a lot more about what's going on here than I do, right?"

Corey nodded.

"And this place has something to do with why Hitomi got sick, doesn't it?"

"Yes."

"When you asked me for help, you said that there was someplace that Hitomi needed to be before she'd get better. You meant here."

"Yeah."

"And the girl, the big hero that guy was talking about? That was Hitomi, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"You're looking for her? That's why you're in the woods?" He nodded. "In that case, we'd better get moving."

Corey looked up, confused, as Yukari stood. Following her action, he trailed behind her as she began walking. "Um, where are we going?"

She sighed and shook her head, giving him a look that said he was hopelessly clueless. "The old guy I was talking about, he said he could have sworn he saw this hero again, not far from here. And if the hero is Hitomi, then she's not far from here, so we'd better get moving."

Corey stopped in tracks, dumbstruck. No wonder the vision had sent him here instead of to Hitomi. He could have searched all day with no results, but now he had someone who was going to lead him right to her! That thought brought up another question, and he hurried to catch up with the older girl.

"So how did you know where to find me?"

"The old guy again. I think he's more into the goings on of this forest than a bored housewife is with a soap opera. But at least he was helpful. Till he tried to dig through my pockets, anyway."

Corey snickered, suddenly realizing who the man had to be. "What. Do. You. Find. So. Amusing?" Yukari demanded, glowering at him. He lifted a hand to keep her at bay.

"It's just that that guy you ran into is The Moleman. Right after Hitomi got here, he met up with her in almost the same way. Dark forest, she was all alone, he tried to rip her off . . ." He chuckled. "I can't wait to tell Hitomi about this."

Just as the words left his mouth, a shrill scream echoed through the trees. The familiar voice sent a shot of fear straight through Corey's chest. "That's Merle!" Images of her being chased by the mob of angry men flashed through his mind, and his breath caught in his throat. "We have to find her!"

Looking at each other, the two teens took off running towards the sound. Yukari, ribs still bruised from her crash landing, fell slightly behind. Corey was the first to break through into a small clearing and see the two struggling people in the middle of it.

He stopped dead at the sight of Merle viciously wielding her pack on a short, stringy haired man, yelling at him all the while. "Don't you know better than to sneak up on someone? You scared me half to death, you crazy old man!"

Wrapping an arm around his already aching side, Corey began to chuckle. "This just isn't that guy's day."

Hearing his voice, Merle paused in her attack. Turning just in time to see Yukari emerge from the tree line, all thoughts of punishment fled her mind. Dropping her pack to the ground, she moved to Corey's side, a questioning look on her face as the boy continued to laugh to himself. Yukari stared in amazement at the cat girl in front of her. No one noticed when the abused Moleman slipped away.

"Corey?" Merle asked tentatively, trying to figure out what he thought was so darn hilarious. When he didn't answer, she huffed a little, stomping her foot. If there was one thing she hated, it was being ignored. Deciding to return the favor, she turned to the only other remaining person in the clearing.

The dark haired girl was staring at her oddly. Any other time, Merle might have been offended, but judging by her clothes, she was also from the Mystic Moon. Prepared to let it slide this time, she offered a small smile. "Hi, I'm Merle."

"I'm Yukari. You have a tail."

Raising an eyebrow as Corey snorted, Merle rolled her eyes. "Yes, I do. What are you doing here?"

The older girl looked startled, finally losing the dazed look. "Oh, I'm a friend of Hitomi's. I was helping the two of them out last night, and somehow, whatever brought them here brought me too."

Nodding Merle looked at the ground where Corey was now sprawled on his back, tears streaming down his cheeks. "What's wrong with him?"

Yukari shrugged. "I don't know what set him off, but I think it's a stress-release kind of thing. These past months have been hard on him, and now that everything's starting to fall into place, he's relaxing. Maybe a little too much."

"What do you mean everything's falling into place? We still don't know where Hitomi is . . ." she trailed off as Yukari shook her head.

"But we do! That old guy you were beating up said he saw her over that way. Corey and I were headed there when we heard you scream."

"The Moleman told you he saw Hitomi? I'm not sure we can trust him, but it would be foolish not to check it out." She glared at the boy whose laughter had dwindled to the occasional bursts of giggles. "Should we leave him here?"

"It would be easier for us."

"Hey! I heard that! Where're you going? Wait for me!" Corey yelled at the departing girls, hauling himself to his feet. As he dashed off to catch up with them, he still had a smile on his face.

Maybe everything would work out, after all.

* * *

Next Chapter: Do You Know?


	10. Do You Know?

**Title:** When I Talk To You  
**Author:** Lady of the Ink  
**Pairing:** V/H  
**Category:** Suspense/Romance, with some good angst thrown in for flavor.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.  
**Dedication:** To all the reviewers who have taken the time to read this, and tell me what they thought.

**Chapter Ten**  
_Do You Know?_

* * *

As the motley trio made their way through the forest, Corey found himself walking between the two girls. He wondered idly if it was a coincidence, or if one or both of them was deliberately keeping separated from the other. Yukari seemed vaguely unsettled by the cat girl, and Merle couldn't have helped but notice the sideways glances the dark haired girl kept giving her ears and tail. That was reason enough for Merle to keep her distance.

For his part, Corey had no complaints. He had finally managed to squash the urge to laugh, and it had been quiet ever since. The only sounds were their footsteps, the rustling of leaves, and the shuffling of unseen animals. As they left the trees behind and started following a rough path, the stillness began to grate on his nerves. He'd had more than enough silence in the past few months to last him a good long while.

"So, Merle, what exactly is it you do here in Fanelia? I know that you and Van are good friends. Do you work with him, or do you just do . . . whatever?" he asked with a gesture of his hands.

Merle thought for a moment, then, deciding there was no rancor in the question, tried to answer. "Well, when I first came to live with him, I was someone to keep him company. I mean, he had his older brother, but there was the whole king thing, and he didn't have much spare time. So we'd play together and get each other in trouble," she smiled affectionately at the memories. "Over time, we really did become friends. Then when everything happened with Folken and Lord Van's parents . . . Well, we were each pretty much all the other had left."

"Hitomi said you didn't like her much when she first came here." He paused as Merle laughed.

"I made it pretty rough on her. All I knew was that Lord Van liked her, and I wasn't going to let her take him away from me. It took awhile, but I finally realized I was gaining a new friend, not losing an old one. Of course, I didn't get a chance to really tell her that, since it was right before she left to go home."

Sensing more than seeing Merle's sudden insecurity, Corey nudged her shoulder gently with his own. "I wouldn't worry about it too much."

"And why not?" Her voice was faintly defensive; she wasn't used to anyone other than Van reading her moods so easily.

"For starters, I think she already knows. But if you still need to say it, I'm sure you'll get your chance." Without giving her time to respond to that sage bit of wisdom, he went on. "So first you were playmates, then friends. But you still didn't answer my question."

Sighing, she gave him a look that said she was going to let him change the subject this time, but not to expect it to happen again. "Since pretty much everything was destroyed, for a long time, there wasn't much to do besides rebuild. Now that things are finally beginning to take shape, the government is starting to reform. Lord Van has to officially appoint members to the different council seats and things like that, but everyone knows who he's going to pick. It's not like there were all that many to choose from.

"I'm mostly a run around kind of person; delivering orders to the workers, taking them lunch, letting people know when there is going to be a meeting, and things like that." She shrugged. "I also take care of the house, making sure the maid and cook know what to do, which is more work than you'd think. Since a meeting hall was not at the top of the priorities list, they meet at Lord Van's home. That's probably the only reason he let them build one for him in the first place. He'd have been content to sleep outside until everything else was finished."

"Sounds like a good kind of king, if he's willing to put his people before himself. Is he always like that, or only when he's acting in his official capacity?"

Merle tensed visibly and the fur on her tail fluffed out. Corey braced himself for some kind of retribution to an unintentional slight, but surprisingly, none came. She calmed down, then shot him a sly glance from the corner of her eye.

"He loves her, you know. He'd take good care of her."

Corey felt color suffuse his face as he got caught fishing for information. Served him right for trying to be sneaky instead of just asking outright. Merle didn't strike him as someone much got past. "I . . . I didn't mean . . ."

She laughed lightly. "That's okay. I think it's sweet, you looking out for Hitomi like that. After all, isn't that what brother's are supposed to do?" They smiled at each other, both thinking of their relationships with the members of their "families".

"Um, I hate to interrupt this touching moment, but there's something the two of you might want to see." Yukari's voice startled the pair, both having almost forgotten she was there. Turning almost guilty, they looked to where she was pointing.

There, at the bottom of a small rise, sat the young Fanelian king. He was hunched over something he held in his arms. He didn't seem to be moving.

A surge of fear shot through Corey as he caught a glimpse of a familiar brown haired head, barely visible over Van's shoulder. He was running forward before he knew it, Merle close at his side.

"Hitomi!" the cat girl cried, dropping to her knees at Van's side as Yukari moved to the front. Corey made his way to the other side, kneeling to get a look at his sister's face. She just had to be okay . . .

Before anyone could say another word, Van looked up. A tired smile creased his face as he looked at the new arrivals. When he opened his mouth, he only whispered three words. But those three words were spoken with such reverence, they could have been shouted for the impact they held.

"She woke up."

They had headed back to town almost immediately, Hitomi still cradled in Van's arms. He'd explained hearing her voice and following it to her.

"Not too long before you came, she opened her eyes. She seemed really dazed, but she recognized me. I mean, she said my name." He laughed, slightly embarrassed at the emotion they could all hear in his voice. "I just didn't want to move." He shrugged, knowing they would understand.

When they reached the outskirts of town, Merle dashed ahead to grab some supplies. As she had explained before leaving, "The last thing we need to so right now is attract a lot of attention. Three strangers in odd clothing, one of whom is obviously unconscious . . . Not really inconspicuous, if you ask me. Wait here, and I'll be back soon."

It was less than ten minutes later when she returned, three cloaks slung over her arm and a plan in mind. "We'll take turns heading into town. Lord Van and Hitomi will go first, then Yukari and Corey a little while later. I'll sneak back so that no one will see me. That way if anyone asks about Hitomi, you can say it's me, and that I twisted my ankle, or something. So long as you keep her face covered, no one should think anything different. Besides, you're the king. Why would you lie?"

She smirked at her oldest friend, silent testament to the many times she'd heard him do just that. He smiled back, looking more like his old self, before setting off, the now covered Hitomi supported once more against his chest. As she watched him move away, Merle smiled again. It looked like things were working out, after all.

As soon as the two were out of sight, Merle to turned to the remaining members of the group. Yukari had the cloak pulled around her as she held it shut with both hands. Corey was obviously trying to figure out the ties, and not having much luck. One was dangling behind him, just out of reach as he twisted to try and catch it. The other was looped over his ear.

Not even trying to hide her laughter, Merle moved to stand in front of him. Slapping his hands away, she straightened the cloak, lining it up the way it should have been. Retrieving the tie from his ear, she found herself looking up into his eyes. The green depths seemed to shift, the dark color reflecting her own image back at her.

Blinking sharply, she pulled away. Quickly securing the ties, she backed away a few more steps. "I think it's time for you guys to head into town," she told them brightly, hoping they couldn't hear the slight tremble in her voice.

"Merle . . ." Corey began, sounding concerned, but she cut him off.

"You'd better hurry. Van will be waiting for all of us." Turning on her heel, she started off. A few paces away, she threw them a look over her shoulder. Neither had moved. "If you keep that up, I'll beat you back, and I'm taking the long way!" That finally got them moving, but not before Corey's gaze locked with hers. Even across the distance, she could almost feel his unasked question. The first to look away, Merle rushed off in the opposite direction, leaving a bewildered Corey to drift slowly toward the town, Yukari by his side.

As Van made his way into his home, he could barely force himself to look away from Hitomi's face. Even the weight of her in his arms and the warm puffs of breath caressing his cheek weren't enough to assure him she was still there, still fine. Every few seconds he would glance back down, taking in the curve of her cheek, the line of her nose, the way her lashes fanned out beneath her closed eyes.

He walked slowly up the stairs, trying not to jostle her. She seemed to be sleeping soundly and comfortably, something that, if the circles beneath her eyes were any indication, hadn't happened enough recently. A slight frown tugged at his lips as he noticed other changes that had occurred during their time apart. She was thinner now, and her hair, longer now, seemed less vibrant and a few shades darker. From lack of time in the sun?

Van headed right to his own room, knowing the maid that came in daily would have changed the bedding and turned it down for tonight. Laying Hitomi on top of the coverlet, he pulled off her shoes. Merle and Yukari could do the rest when they returned. Until then, Van planned to stay as close as possible, just in case she woke again.

As she sighed in her sleep, then groaned, he took a closer look at her face. A frown hovered on her brow and pulled at her lips. He wondered what she was dreaming of that made her look so lost and unhappy. Van rubbed at his eyes, trying to clear them. Now that he was home and Hitomi was by his side, he felt so tired. It had been a long night, and an even longer couple of months.

Dropping to his knees beside the bed, he clasped her hand between both of his. A tired smile crossed his face as he felt her squeeze it slightly in her sleep. Letting his head fall forward, he rested it on their clasped hands. He'd just close his eyes until the others arrived . . .

* * *

Next Chapter: Maybe It Just Doesn't Matter

You can find this fic, and my other one, "Many Voices, All My Own" archived at a perfectly lovely Esca-Fanfic site run by one of my most loyal reviewers, StarSapphireZ. Check it out for a select group of great fics by wonderful authors, the webmistress' own works included.


	11. Maybe It Just Doesn't Matter

**Title:** When I Talk To You  
**Author:** Lady of the Ink  
**Pairing:** V/H  
**Category:** Suspense/Romance, with some good angst thrown in for flavor.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.  
**Dedication:** To all the reviewers who have taken the time to read this, and tell me what they thought.

**Chapter Eleven**  
_Maybe It Just Doesn't Matter_

* * *

Hitomi felt herself slowly becoming aware of her surroundings. Surprise was an understatement when she realized she was standing in the middle of her bedroom. At first glance, the room looked the same as always, but something seemed off. It was too neat, too orderly. The bed was made to perfection, every corner tucked, the pillows on top fluffed and lined up.

Turning, she saw the closet was exactly halfway open, revealing the rows of neatly hung clothing. At the bottom was a procession of shoes, lined up like soldiers, two by two. The dresser that held her brush, comb, and other knickknacks was dusted, and her desk looked liked a store's display for the perfect teenage workspace. She furrowed her brow, sure that something else was wrong. This wasn't where she should be. There was something . . . something she should remember . . .

Moving across the room to the window, she slowly pulled back the curtains. A startled gasp caught in her throat as she saw what the fabric had concealed. A forest made a magnificent backdrop as the bright emerald green leaves of the trees caught the afternoon sunlight. A small town unfolded directly beneath her, spreading out to touch the fringes of the wooded area. The buildings were unusual, and yet, at the same time, strangely familiar. A luminous blue sky presided over it all, strewn with wispy clouds of pure white.

She had seen this landscape before. Had stood beneath that sky, felt the shade from those trees, walked between those buildings. But all that had happened on . . . Gaea.

Hitomi pulled back from the window quickly, one hand fluttering to her throat. She kept retreating until the backs of her knees came into contact with her bed. Dropping onto the mattress with a little bounce, she bowed her head. There was no way she could have seen what she thought she'd just seen.

What felt like a long moment passed as she pondered her situation. The more she thought about it, the more clear it became. What she had just seen couldn't be real. Gaea and Fanelia were hundreds of miles from her home. The two places were incompatible. That left only two possible explanations, and since everything was too calm for this to be a vision, it had to be a dream.

Grateful that she had gotten that sorted out, Hitomi stood again. Knowing that she was dreaming should have allowed her to relax, but something still hovered in the back of her mind. She concentrated, trying to bring it forward, but it remained just out of reach. Holding a hand to her head, she strove to think through the thick pounding that had begun at the base of her skull. She could feel the pressure thumping against her ears, pulsing behind her eyes. Taking a few deep breaths, she thought back to the last time she was in this room.

She remembered the vision, the horrible images that came night and day, showing her the danger her friends were in. The feelings she had felt when she realized she couldn't help them crashed over her again, making her feel weak. Pushing them away, she kept going, mentally moving forward in time.

As the reality of her helplessness had set in, she had begun to feel pathetic, useless. What point was there in seeing a future she couldn't change? No matter how hard she tried, there was no way to reach anyone who could help. Her friends were going to be hurt, she knew it, and there was nothing she could do.

It was then that the doubts had begun to set in. Maybe it was all her fault. Maybe this was her punishment for going back home. She knew that she could help the people on Gaea, could help her friends. But she had let her fear of the unknown and her homesickness take precedence. Perhaps the link between herself and Van was gone for the same reason. Why had she allowed herself to ignore the feeling of rightness that Gaea gave her? The sense of being where she belonged that had begun to grow inside her from the day she had arrived?

If only she had stayed . . .

Jerking herself from her depressing thoughts, Hitomi closed her eyes, then opened them again. Standing here yelling at herself about things she couldn't change wouldn't benefit anyone. What was done was done, and that was all there was to it. It was the present and the future that mattered.

She kept concentrating, digging through her memories. The depression had taken hold, leaving her feeling weighted. There was no reason for her to get up in the morning, no reason to continue on. She just laid in bed, mentally calling herself every kind of fool. Her parents had tried talking to her, but their voices just floated around her, meaningless sounds that she ignored.

Corey had been there, too. He had pleaded with her to get up, warned her about what their parents planned to do. The day before they had taken her away, she remembered the feel of his tears on her cheeks, the words he whispered burning in her ears.

"Don't leave me alone."

But she had, she thought to herself, feeling a tightness in her throat. She had left him, and in doing that, had passed her burden on to him.

The days had merged together in an endless swirl of waking and sleeping, her disjointed dreams often following her back to reality to haunt her confused thoughts. Everything was hazy, but she had known that her brother was there. Had felt his presence more than anything else, and been comforted by it. No matter that she had abandoned him, he wasn't going to desert her.

The selfish side of her had reveled in his dedication, refusing to acknowledge what it would mean to him. He never should have been expected to give up so much of his time for her. In the small part of her that remained aware, she ached for him. She should have been the one who was there for him, not the other way around. What kind of person was she to ask so much when she had nothing to give in return?

From then on, she tried to wake up, she truly did. But whether it was the time that had passed or the pills the doctors gave as they tried to help, she had no control over herself. She knew when he was there, but couldn't speak to him. Her determination to get better began to fade with her hope.

Until the night before her birthday.

She knew what day it was because Corey had told her. He had spoken of finding the perfect gift, and being sure it was something the doctors would let her keep with her. She had almost felt anticipation as he left that day.

Then the night had come, and with it, the vision. She had had it a few times since going to the Institute, but this time was different. The other times she had been awake; this time, she was positive she was asleep. As the scenes began to change, she noted that she was no longer visible in it. Instead of her, Corey stood amidst the thick flames and flying ashes as the building in Fanelia burned. It was Corey who drifted after the running Merle as she fled for her life.

She had spoken their names as he watched them meet their fates, amazed when he seemed able to hear her. Willing him to her, she found herself in a thick fog, unseen, but heard. Even as she begged for his help, she knew she shouldn't pull him deeper into her mess. But she hadn't brought him into her dream; something else had. Was it true fate? Destiny? She didn't know. Whatever it was told her that this was the way things were meant to be.

When he returned the next day and stared into her eyes, asking if she had been there with him, she had tried her hardest to answer. Nothing came out, until he had pulled out the necklace. The thin strands of silver caught the dim light, each flash made her heart beat faster. She had felt something change inside her. A force had begun to build, growing with each passing moment.

Hope.

When the cool chain had touched her neck, it felt as if she were breaking free from a block of cement. Grabbing his hand, she looked at her brother, really looked at him, for the first time in weeks. Trying to show him her pain with her eyes, she managed three words.

"He needs me."

That had been all it took for Corey to accept her mission as his own. A determined look had crossed his face, and for the first time, Hitomi recognized the fact that he was no longer a child. In that moment, she caught a glimpse of the man he would become.

When he returned with Yukari, both of them giving his plan their all, she found she could do no less. Pushing her body and mind farther than she thought she could, she manage to get out of the bed. Sheer strength of mind forced her legs to move, her neck to support the weight of her head. The first touch of the cool night air on her skin had filled her with joy. Laughter spilled from her lips, and she felt like nothing could stand in their way. All they had to do was reach Gaea, and everything would be fine.

After that, things were a little unclear. She remembered hard, cold ground, the sounds of birds, and a face . . . A very important face. The pounding in her head grew worse as she tried to dredge up the memory. Who had been there?

She shook her head. It had to have something to do with why being in this room felt so wrong. Her eyes drifted back to the window as she recalled what she had seen there. Fanelia out the window . . . Fanelia . . . Van!

She stiffened as the memory came back to her. The feeling of someone's arms around her, a voice muttering her name, begging her to open her eyes. When she had complied, her vision was blurry at first. All she could make out was a indistinct figure leaning over her. Blinking had helped, not much, but enough.

Van had looked so eager when she opened her eyes. She had noted the dark circles under his once brilliant eyes, the way the skin over his cheekbones was drawn tight. Concern for him had flooded through her, and she whispered his name. The last thing she saw was the smile that graced his face before she drifted off again.

If she had seen Van, then she must have made it to Gaea. He had held her in his arms, so the vision had yet to come true. There was still time!

The feeling of relief that had wrapped around her at that thought fled when she heard voices coming towards her from the hallway. Startled, she whipped around just in time to see her parents enter the room. An odd sense of weightless assailed her, giving her the feeling of being nothing more than air.

That idea intensified as both adults passed by her without a word. Her mother went to the dresser and began dusting, while her father leaned against the doorframe. As Hitomi watched them, she knew that if this had been a dream, it no longer was. This felt more like a vision, only different from that, as well. Some small voice from the depths of her mind whispered that she was watching what was happening back on Earth at that moment. That this little presentation was for her benefit, to tell her something she needed to know.

"I don't know why you're getting so worked up. You knew this was going to happen." Her father's voice was very clear as he spoke. Mrs. Kanzaki wiped harder at the nonexistent dust.

"That's not the point, and you know it."

He sighed. "You know more about all of this than I do. You're the one who told me not to worry, that everything was going to work out in the end. So why are you so upset now that it has?"

"Upset? Upset?" Hitomi was surprised when her mother whirled around. "Upset does not even begin to define the way I feel right now. My children are gone, and I can't get to them. I may never see them again, and I don't even know for sure that they're okay. And if, for some reason, I do get to see them again, they'll probably hate me." She turned back to the dresser, both hands braced on its surface, her head hanging. A stifled sob broke free, and Hitomi stood frozen as her father crossed the room.

As she watched her parents, something occurred to her. It had less to do with what her mother had said than what she didn't say. The room, obviously cleaned everyday, and yet kept exactly the same. Those were not the actions of someone determined to erase all clues of her daughter's existence, it was more like a tribute to someone . . .

Her father had said that her mother knew what was going to happen . . .

Corey had the same gift as she did, which meant it probably ran in the family. Had it come from her mother's side? Did it come from her mother?

Barely paying attention to her parents, Hitomi let her mind drift over all the fights about Gaea. Her mother had never liked it when it was mentioned, especially when Corey or herself brought it up. If her mom had known she would visit Gaea . . . Maybe she had also known of Hitomi's desire to remain there.

Maybe her mother had known all along she would have to go back. The psychiatrist, the fights, everything that had gone on after her return, maybe they were all last tries at keeping her home. The actions of any mother who didn't want to lose her daughter.

Mrs. Kanzaki spoke again, and Hitomi found herself listening with a new perspective. "My mother chose dreams of Gaea over me, and now my children will do the same. How am I supposed to deal with that? I won't know how they're doing, won't be able to see them, and they'll never know . . ."

As she watched her father wrap his arms around her mother, Hitomi smiled sadly. "Yes, Mom. We will."

* * *

Next Chapter: There Were Times In The Beginning


	12. There Were Times In The Beginning

**Title:** When I Talk To You  
**Author:** Lady of the Ink  
**Pairing:** V/H  
**Category:** Suspense/Romance, with some good angst thrown in for flavor.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.

**Chapter Twelve  
**_There Were Times In The Beginning_

* * *

Corey walked slowly through the town, forcing Yukari to constantly have to stop and wait for him to catch up. He wished she knew the way so he could have a moment alone to think. Something was bothering Merle, and he had a feeling it involved him. He frowned, rubbing at his forehead. He didn't like the thought that he'd done something to upset her without knowing it.

Shaking his head, he began walking faster, quickly passing the older girl. All he had to do was find out what he'd done, and fix it. Somehow.

With a panting Yukari straining to keep up with him, Corey heaved a sigh of relief when the townhouse came into view. Wanting to make sure Hitomi was settled in okay before he went to work on the Merle problem, he went right for the stairs. He knew that Van would take her to his room, though he wasn't exactly sure how he knew.

Shrugging it off, he knocked softly on the door. When there was no answer, he cautiously pushed it open. The sight before him brought a smile to his face, though he would have denied it had anyone called him on it. Hitomi lay on the bed, her tennis shoes in a careless heap at the foot. The young king of Fanelia knelt at the bedside, his head resting on their joined hands.

Not really knowing how to handle the situation, Corey opted for the back-away-and-let-someone-else-deal-with-it route, one he had much practice at. As he went through the doorway in reverse, he bumped not quite gently into something warm. Turning on his heel as quickly as he could, he caught Merle by the arms as she took a stumbling step away.

"Are you okay?" he asked, not releasing her. She blinked up at him, her bright blue eyes slightly unfocused. When she didn't respond, he asked her again, ducking his head to get a better look at her face in the dim light. He hadn't thought he'd hit her that hard . . .

Shaking her head and blinking rapidly, Merle snapped out of her daze. "What? Oh, I'm fine. Sorry about that."

"It was my fault for not watching where I was going." His earlier plan to see what he'd done flashed through his mind, and he decided to bite the bullet. "Look, about earlier, in the woods . . ."

Merle cut him off before he could finish. "Your friend's waiting downstairs in the parlor. I think she might want to know a little more about what's going on. And you'll want to get out of that," she gestured at the cloak he still wore. "While you're doing that, I'll get Lord Van and Hitomi settled in and see about some lunch." Giving him an overly bright smile and no time to reply, she ducked into the bedroom he'd just left. Corey turned, only to find himself face to face with a closed door.

"I'm never gonna figure her out," he muttered to himself as he went to the stairs. Surprisingly, the thought didn't leave him as depressed as it should have. He even found himself laughing a little as he looked for Yukari. At least this place couldn't be called boring.

* * *

Merle shook her head as she delivered a stinging self-directed tirade. "What do you think you're doing? He's just Hitomi's brother. There's no reason to feel strange around him," she muttered softly as she waited for the footsteps of the boy in question to recede.

When she was sure he was gone, she darted from the room, heading to her own. Once there, she quickly found a nightgown that would fit Hitomi and returned to Van's room. Neither of the two sleeping people had moved, and Merle silently plotted a course of action.

Moving to the trunk that sat at the foot of the bed, Merle pulled out a spare blanket. Closing the lid, she paused to scoop up the shoes that lay on the floor and set them on top. Kneeling, she gently shook Van's shoulder, jumping back quickly as he jerked awake. Dodging the arm that lashed out in a lopsided half circle, Merle waited for him to fully wake up.

He blinked a few times, then knuckled roughly at his eyes. Squinting mid-yawn, his gaze landed on the cat girl perched at the foot of the bed. "Merle?" he mumbled, looking confused. Suddenly, his eyes widened and all signs of sleepiness vanished from his face. Whipping his head around so quickly his neck cracked in protest, Van seemed to drink in the sight of Hitomi.

Merle watched as his face softened and the smallest hint of a smile curved his lips. He looked truly happy for the first time in a long time. She smiled as well, glad to see her old friend returning. A few minutes passed before she remembered that she was supposed to be getting lunch together.

Clearing her throat, she waited as Van reluctantly pulled his eyes from Hitomi's sleeping face. "Out," she ordered, pointing to the door. When he opened his mouth to protest, she held up the nightgown. "She's been outside all night in those clothes; I think she'd be more comfortable in this."

Van nodded, getting slowly to his feet. He plodded away, stopping every few steps to cast a glance back at the resting girl. Merle heaved an exaggerated sigh as she rolled her eyes. "You can come back in as soon as I'm done. Which will never happen if you don't leave to start with!" She made a shooing motion with her hands, struggling to contain a giggle. Van had been much too serious lately, always trying to be the perfect ruler. Seeing him now with the dejected look he wore making him appear several years younger, she felt a bubble of happiness rise within her.

Quickly trading Hitomi's rumpled outfit for the nightgown, Merle carefully put the older girl under the covers. For a long moment, she looked at her old friend's face, cataloguing all the changes, much the same way as Van had. She sighed, and then squared her shoulders. Hitomi was here, and whatever had made her get sick wouldn't stand a chance against all the friends who'd be fighting for her to get well. Merle nodded once, that plan firm in her mind.

She crossed to the door, pulling it open to reveal Van slumped against the other wall. When he looked up, she smiled at him. Motioning for him to precede her into the room, she followed as he went straight to the side of the bed.

"Lord Van," she said, forcing him to turn slightly. She tossed him the quilt he had retrieved earlier, watching as he looked at it, obviously confused. Seeing the weariness that even his exhilaration over Hitomi's return couldn't hide, Merle went right to the heart of the matter. "We both know that you don't intend to leave this room. We also know that you're about two minutes from dropping in your tracks. You'd probably be asleep before I left the room. So you're just going to lay down, and get some sleep."

She watched the expressions cross his face as he tried to choose between the need to be close to Hitomi and the propriety of the situation. Crossing her arms, she waited patiently for him to come to the decision that was practically inevitable. Sure enough, it was only a matter of moments before he was pulling the quilt around his shoulders and taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

She waited until he was comfortably settled, Hitomi's hand once more enclosed in his own before she quit the room. Since everyone knew the story between the two of them and what they'd put themselves through the past several months, there was no question of impropriety. She doubted either of them would be moving for a while.

As she passed the study, she heard the soft sounds of conversation. Apparently Corey had caught up that Yukari girl. Unconsciously lightening her steps, Merle crept to the kitchen. Though technically there was a cook employed fulltime, having her cook for two people who were rarely home seemed a bit wasteful. Add in the differences in the times they ate each night and it became downright extravagant. So most nights Merle would whip up something fast and easy for Van and herself. Only when there were meetings planned was the cook actually called in.

As she took a quick inventory of the available provisions, she gave silent thanks that the older woman still saw to stocking the pantry every few days. Goodness knew Merle had little time or inclination to do the shopping herself. Even though the Fanelian people were mostly occupied by rebuilding their businesses and lives, a few still found time to keep up the old intolerances. Forcing herself to let her anger at their narrow-mindedness go, she set about making a simple lunch for the three people still awake.

By the time she had a plateful of sandwiches and some quickly tossed together soup, she was almost in a good mood. Surveying the remains of the supplies, she pulled a face. It was clear that someone would need to make a trip to the market before breakfast the next morning if they wanted to feed the extra people. Knowing that Van would refuse to leave Hitomi, and that Corey and Yukari would be too conspicuous, she resigned herself to the dreaded task.

Setting the food onto a large tray with dishes and utensils, she carefully made her way through the hall. When she reached the study, there was silence from within. Hoping that she hadn't gone to the trouble of cooking for people who'd disappeared, she turned to push the door open with her shoulder. She found Yukari and Corey both slumped into chairs, staring at the cold remains of the previous night's fire.

Corey jumped to his feet at her entrance, and then set to work clearing a spot on the desk for her to set the tray. Merle avoided meeting his gaze, still bewildered over the feelings from earlier. There was just something about him that made her feel uncharacteristically self-conscious.

As the three teens took their food and found seats, a thick silence fell over the room. Judging by the amount of squirming and clearing of throats, no one was immune to its weighty presence. When Merle couldn't force herself to swallow another bite past the tight feeling in her throat, she broke the silence.

"So, the two of you had a long talk?"

Yukari nodded, evidently willing to say anything to keep the stifling quiet at bay. "Yeah. It's all really hard to believe. To think that there's this whole world so close, and almost no one knows about it. It would be front page news for weeks, not that anyone would believe a word of it if we tried to tell them."

Merle felt herself tense a little the implications of the red haired girl. Hitomi had understood that Gaea and the Mystic Moon wouldn't deal well with each other. They were too different; each world had its own beliefs and many people willing to destroy anything that tried to disprove those beliefs. Just the thought of what some Gaeans would do to the "evil" people of the other world sent a shiver down her spine. Never mind if it was the other way around.

Something, maybe the way he had spoken, or just how much he seemed to be like Hitomi made Merle think Corey would agree with his older sister. There would be no attempts at reconciling the two planets from his corner. She also had a feeling that Yukari was just voicing a thought out loud; she had no intentions of taking it further than that. Even so, Merle felt stressed. Trying to change the subject, she stood, brushing some crumbs from the front of her dress.

"Well, I've got some things to do before I call it an early night." She gathered the dirty dishes, stacking them back on the tray with efficient movements. There wasn't anything she really had to do, but anything was better than sitting here trying to make idle conversation. "I have to hit the market early tomorrow to get things for breakfast."

"Do want me to come along?" Corey asked. Merle quickly turned him down.

"No, no. I'll be fine. Someone will be by tomorrow afternoon with the regular delivery, so we don't actually need that much. I'll be there and back in no time. Plus someone has to keep an eye on Lord Van and Hitomi." Offering a small smile, she hefted the tray and headed out of the room. Pausing by the door, she added, "Yukari, you can take my room tonight; I'll find a spot to sleep. Corey, you can just use the guest room again." Without looking back, she left.

* * *

Van had closed his eyes to try and get to sleep, but his mind refused to let him forget that Hitomi lay inches away. Turning onto his side, he stopped fighting the urge to look at her. Whatever dreams had haunted her before seemed to be gone now, leaving her face calm. He held his breath as she shifted in her sleep, sending a lock of hair slipping across her forehead. Unable to resist, he reached out to brush it back into place.

He had just brushed the tress with the tips of his fingers when he saw a flash of green. He froze when he realized that Hitomi had opened her eyes and was looking at him. Dropping his hand, he felt himself redden at getting caught.

For a long moment, neither of them moved. They just lay there, looking at each other. Hitomi was the first to speak.

"Hi," she whispered in a voice rusty with disuse.

"Hi," Van managed. He relaxed slightly when she smiled at him. Before he knew she was moving, Hitomi had raised a hand to lay along the side of his face. Her thumb followed the line of his cheekbone, her touch the elusive brush of a butterfly's wing. "You should still be asleep," he told her in a thick voice.

"I wanted to make sure you were real." Her smile was soft and tinted with pain. "You don't know how many times I dreamed you were right next to me, only to have you be gone when I opened my eyes. I'm glad you're still here."

"Me, too." Before he could say anything, a yawn caught him off guard. Hitomi giggled.

"Tired?" He smiled sheepishly and nodded, unconsciously keeping the movement slight enough to avoid dislodging her hand. "You look it." Her finger moved to trace the bruised-looking skin under his eye. "Okay, let's go to sleep."

Van's eyes widened and he stiffened with surprise as she scooted closer to him on the bed, flipping onto her side facing him. Her hand left his cheek to slide over his shoulder and down his arm, coming to rest at his waist. Her other arm was bent, her hand pillowing her cheek.

Moving slowly, unsure of her reaction, Van shifted his hand to mirror her position. As it curved around her waist, she sighed in apparent pleasure, her eyes fluttering shut. A feeling of content crept over him as he heard her breathing deepen, felt her arm slacken against him. It wasn't too long before his own eyes began to close.

They slept.

* * *

After pointing out Merle's room to Yukari, Corey retired to his own room. Sprawling out on his back on the bed, he stared at the shadow-drenched ceiling. Merle's quick departure reeked of retreat. She had seemed kind of tense, too, like something was bothering her.

He sighed, flinging an arm up to cover his eyes. She just didn't seem to be acting like the Merle Hitomi had described to him. Brief flashes of that hyper, exasperating girl shone through from time to time, but she never stayed long. At least not when he was around to see.

Of all the people Hitomi had spoken of to him, she was the one he had wanted to meet the most. Not just because she was half cat; no, it was more than that. She had managed to annoy Hitomi beyond words, and yet still become very important to her. It was the contradictions of her personality that intrigued him.

When the vision had shown her in danger, he'd been more upset than reason said he should have been. So what if she was a friend of his sister's? So was Van, and he hadn't felt half so worried about him. There was just something . . .

Growling at himself, Corey rolled onto his stomach, burying his head in his pillow. This was crazy, staying up all night thinking about a girl who probably hadn't given him two thoughts since they met. But he couldn't help it. Coming to a decision, he gave the pillow a few good thumps. First thing in the morning, he was going to have a nice talk with a certain pink haired individual if he had to tie her to a chair to do it.

* * *

Next Chapter:When You Were There


	13. When You Were There

**Title:** When I Talk To You  
**Author:** Lady of the Ink  
**Pairing:** V/H  
**Category:** Suspense/Romance, with some good angst thrown in for flavor.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.

**Chapter Thirteen**  
_When You Were There_

* * *

After Merle had left Corey and Yukari in the study, she'd made her way outside. A long, meandering walk had eaten up a few hours, but done nothing for her peace of mind. Thoughts had raced through her head, and all of them centered on a certain blond haired boy.

Every time she thought about being around him, a fluttering feeling would start in her stomach. It hadn't taken her long to come to the conclusion that she was getting a crush on him. While part of her was thrown off balance by the unfamiliar feelings, another reasoned that it was almost to be expected.

For all the nice people she had met, there were many that seemed almost aggressive towards her with their intense aversion. It wasn't so much what she was physically; it was about her familiarity with Lord Van. They seemed to resent her position as his friend, as though she were stepping above some invisible boundary. It was an attitude that, though she was uncomfortable with, she had become resigned to.

Then along comes a boy who not only treated her like everyone else, but actually seemed to like her. He was smart, funny, and immensely caring, if his devotion to Hitomi was anything to go by. He had the kind of personality that, although she had met him less than a day before, she felt like she had known him for much longer. And wasn't even getting into his looks. Out of all his features, it was his eyes that held her attention the most. The color, such an intense jade hue, reflected and implied depth at the same time.

Knowing she was being a coward by avoiding him, Merle found her way back to the house. Though it was only mid afternoon, she found that everyone had apparently gone to bed. It wasn't surprising after the night they'd all had. She felt like doing nothing more than falling into bed and sleeping for a week. Of course, with Yukari currently occupying that space, that wasn't an option.

The discovery that she wouldn't have to face the object of her confusion had brought on two immediate reactions. The first was a strong rush of relief. The second was anger at herself for that relief. She had been through some bad times and tough situations, and it had never shaken her like this. What was the matter with her when one boy had her running around in circles?

Merle sighed as she made her way to her improvised bed for the night. The divan in the parlor wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, but it would do for a night or two. As soon as she was curled into a comfortable position, she forced all thoughts from her mind. Soon, the past days' events took their toll on her, and she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Van woke to the brilliant colors of dawn coming through his window, and a warm weight on his chest. Blinking a few times, he stifled a yawn and looked down. A few strands of brownish-blonde hair tickled his chin when he moved, but he made no attempt to brush them away. He didn't want to risk his actions waking Hitomi.

Her head was tilted upwards, giving him an unobstructed view of her face. A dusky pink flush colored her cheeks, giving her formerly pale skin a healthier, more vibrant glow. Her lips were slightly parted, and he could feel the slow, even puffs of air through the material of his shirt as she breathed.

A smile curved his lips as he watched her. A feeling of contentment rose in his chest. After months of not hearing from her, of not knowing if she was okay, Hitomi had returned to Gaea. She was in his arms, and if her mood the night before had been any indication, she was happy to be there.

He let himself imagine what it would be like to wake like this every morning. To have the first thing he saw upon opening his eyes be her face. To know that at any given moment, he could find his way to her side, could reach out and touch her.

A dark cloud passed over his mood as his thoughts drifted back. Corey had said Hitomi got upset over not being able to warn him of some impending danger. It was just like her to put her worry about others before herself. But just because she had been worried didn't mean she was back on Gaea to stay. Maybe now that they had found her, she would pass on her warning and just as quickly return to the Mystic Moon.

He frowned, his thoughts going back to their short conversation the night before. Raking his mind, he tried to pick out some clue she might have given about her feelings. Was coming here simply the only way to speak to him, or was this where she wanted to be? What were the chances of this visit becoming something more permanent?

That brought up thoughts of Yukari and Corey. Even if Hitomi decided to stay, what would happen to her brother and best friend? They probably wanted to go home, though with Corey, that possibility was a little less certain. But even if Corey decided to stay, that still left their parents. Hitomi had left Gaea once for missing her family. Would she do the same thing again?

Before his upsetting thoughts could infuse him completely, he felt Hitomi shift against him. The frown vanished from his face as he waited. Hitomi murmured, rubbing her cheek against his chest. He felt her take a deep breath, then watched as her brow furrowed. A moment later, her eyes fluttered open.

Van knew the exact moment Hitomi realized where she was. She stiffened, glanced at his face, and then sat up abruptly. Propping himself against the headboard, he watched as she raked both hands through her hair. Hiding a smile, he followed her movements as she flattened a palm on either side of her legs, then immediately crossed her arms across her chest. When she finally stopped fidgeting, her hands were folded in her lap, and her head was tipped forward till her hair hid most of her face from view.

Feeling unsure of himself, Van looked around the sparsely furnished room, focusing on anything but the girl in front of him. The time to herself must have allowed Hitomi to gather her thoughts, because it was barely a moment later when she spoke.

"Um, good morning," she whispered, the cheery tone she tried for infused with uncertainty. Hearing it, Van reined in his curiosity and decided to let her direct the conversation.

"Good morning."

"So it wasn't a dream?" Van shook his head. She laughed nervously. Stealing a look at him, her eyes were a flash of green peeking through her hair. Her head remained tilted downward as she began to speak. "This is so strange. For so long, all I've wanted was to talk to you. Now, you're right there, and I can't think of a thing to say."

Van was torn. He wanted to grab her and hold her tight, but there was too much he didn't know. To say the things he longed to say, to bind her to him with words and actions, would be hurtful for them both. Every stitch and tie holding them together would just be another wound should she decide to leave.

But if he said nothing, gave her no clue about how he felt, he risked having her think it didn't matter to him whether she stayed or went.

Gathering his courage, his took a chance and slowly reached out. Untangling her hands, he gently held one between both of his own. He could feel their joined hands trembling, but couldn't tell if it was just from him, or Hitomi as well. Taking a deep breath, he waited for her questioning gaze to lock on his face before he spoke.

"I'm glad you're here." Such simple words that in no way expressed the extent of his feelings. For an agonizing moment that seemed to stretch for ages, he waited for her response.

"So am I." Her softly voiced response was accompanied by a squeeze of her hand. Van let out the breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. It wasn't a statement of undying love or a desire to stay here forever. But it was something. And for now, that was enough.

Hitomi straightened abruptly, alarm flaring across her face. "Corey?" she asked. Van rushed to reassure her.

"He's sleeping, right across the hall. He's fine. Yukari too."

"Yukari?!" He nodded. Her brow creased in thought. "I remember her being with Corey, but she left. How did she . . ."

Van shrugged, then quickly filled her in on everything he knew, ending with the fact that everyone would probably sleep in. "None of us got much sleep last night."

Hitomi hung her head. "I'm sorry if I caused trouble. I . . ."

"No!" Van exclaimed earnestly. Lifting her chin with a finger, he met her gaze. "Hitomi, we need to talk. It's something we should have done a long time ago." At her slight nod, he searched for just the right words. "When you left last time, there was something I wanted to say. Something I regretted not telling you. You see, I . . ."

Before he could continue, a loud pounding broke out from somewhere below. Casting a regretful look at Hitomi, he jumped from the bed. Opening the window, he leaned he head over the sill and called out to the man knocking on the front door. As the man looked up, Van caught the faintest hint of a scent on the air. Alarm rippled down his spine. Even before the visitor's lips formed the word, Van knew what he was going to say.

"Fire!"

_

* * *

_

It was the hour of mixed night and day, when the songs of birds began but stars still graced the highest peaks of the azure sky. Dew lay heavily on the grass, its appearance accompanied by the fresh scent of a new day. No breeze dove through the air, no animals moved through the underbrush. All was still. It was in the midst of this calm that Corey found himself.

The sound of voices came to him, faint but clear. Without thought, he tried to move towards them, certain that he recognized one of them. As he moved, he realized he wasn't walking, but rather floating. A quiet groan escaped his lips as he become aware of what was going on.

"Another vision. Just great," he muttered as he continued forward. He was following a path that was barely recognizable as such. It was little more than bare patches every few feet, as though it were newly formed or little used. He had just crested a small rise when he saw them.

Four scruffy men stood blocking the path. Directly before them, sprawled as though she had just fallen, was Merle. As he watched, the men said something to her that caused her to flinch. She moved as though to edge away, but one of the men quickly blocked her path.

Corey was moving before he knew it, rushing to her side. He swung a hand at the man, only to have it pass right through his arm before he realized this wasn't happening anywhere but in his mind.

Yet.

Knowing this was a vision, he became determined to remember everything about it that he could. That way, when it began to happen for real, he could be there to put an end to it. Tamping down on his anger, he froze as the biggest man began to step closer to Merle.

One hand dropped to grab her chin, giving her no choice but to look up. When he kept pulling, she was forced to her hands and knees to keep her neck from being broken. That continued until she was balanced on the tips of her toes.

When his hand slid down to wrap around her throat, Corey felt a pure rush of fury like nothing he had ever felt before. A sound surprisingly close to a growl bubbled from his throat as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

When this vision became reality, someone was going to pay.

The three men still huddled behind the first were sneering as they watched the scene unfold before them. When the leader lifted Merle off her feet and she began gasping for air, the men laughed.

In an apparent burst of strength, Merle lashed out with her leg, catching the man directly in the stomach. As he went down and the others stared in incomprehension, she tore off towards the woods on all fours. Corey gave a victory whoop, both hands punching towards the sky. He made a face at the group, forgetting that they couldn't see him.

His pleasure faded when the boss managed to get to his feet, and swatted the others into action. They took off running after Merle. Soon, all signs of them vanished into the forest.

When Corey would have gone after them, he found he couldn't move. A moments' thought had him remembering the first vision. That one must have started where this one left off. He didn't need to give chase, because he already knew what would happen.

A tight knot of fear twisted itself to life in his stomach as he noticed the time the vision was set in. It was early morning, and that meant only one thing. Merle had said she was going to the market first thing in the morning, so that must have been where she was headed when she ran into the lowlifes.

Corey yelled as his frustration mounted. Merle was going to walk blithely into trouble, never guessing what was in store for her. He could warn her; she was right down the hall. But fat lot of good that did him, stuck as he was in this dream world. He had to wake up, had to warn her . . .

Corey sat up in bed with a start, cold sweat coating his skin. Panting for breath, he rubbed a hand through his hair. As the images from his vision came back to him, he swore fiercely, rolling from the bed. He hit the floor on all fours, but quickly gained his feet. Heading to the window, he yelped as his foot slammed into the leg of a stand. A few limping strides later, he flung the casement open.

Sparkling beams of sunlight flashed across his face, and Corey slumped against the wall in dejection. He was too late. The sun was already rising, which meant Merle had left by now.

Catching himself, Corey stood up straight. The only way Merle was going to get hurt was if he stood here brooding. The sooner he left, the better his chance of catching up to her. There was no way he was going to let the little matter of a head start keep him from reaching her in time. She wasn't going to know a moments fear if he could help it.

Sprinting to the other side of the room, Corey yanked open the door . . . And immediately slammed into something.

* * *

Next Chapter: **When I Needed You Most**


	14. When I Needed You Most

**Title:** When I Talk To You  
**Author:** Lady of the Ink  
**Pairing:** V/H  
**Category:** Suspense/Romance, with some good angst thrown in for flavor.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.

**Chapter Fourteen**  
_When I Needed You Most_

* * *

Van turned from the window to find Hitomi sitting on the edge of the bed, a worried look on her pale face. Her green eyes, which had been so bright just moments before, now seemed dimmed by inner shadows. As he watched, her mouth drew into a tight line and her hands began twisting themselves together in her lap.

Pushing the urgent matter of the fire to the side for just a moment, he crossed to kneel so they were eye to eye. He didn't want to leave her feeling anxious about anything. But before he could begin to comfort her, her hands landed on his shoulders, her grip surprisingly tight.

"Van," she whispered urgently. "You can't go. The vision I had, the one that made me so worried; it was about this fire. The flames were too high, and the building came down right on top of you! If you go out there, Van, you'll . . . you'll die!" Her tongue tripped over the last word, showing her distress at the thought.

Van's face softened as he took in her concern for him. When he spoke, his voice was gentle. "Hitomi, I know that the vision must have been bad, but as king, I can't ignore this. It's something I have to do." She made a whimpering sound in her throat as her eyes pleaded with him. Pulling her hands from his shoulders, he held them tightly. "Think of it this way. You've seen bad things before, and, because you warned them, the people involved were okay in the end. Right?"

She nodded reluctantly, the resignation on her face telling him that she knew where he was going with this little conversation. "Okay. So now that you've warned me, I know to be extra careful. If things look the slightest bit out of hand, I'll back off. I promise you, nothing is going to keep me from coming back here as soon as this thing is taken care of."

"But Van . . ."

She was interrupted by the return of the knocking downstairs. Giving her no time to start disagreeing again, Van gave her a soft smile. "I'll be back before you know it. Just stay here where it's safe." In an action almost too quick to follow, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the center of her forehead.

And with that, he was gone.

Hitomi remained still for a long while after Van's departure. Some part of her noted the sound of the front door slamming closed, and the pair of voices that faded as the speakers moved away. Most of her attention, however, was focused on convincing herself that Van was right.

"Everything is going to be okay. He's going to be fine. I told him what would happen, so he knows to be careful. That's all that I can do. He promised he'd be back soon. Everything will be fine. Everything _has_ to be fine." She closed her eyes, and tried some calming breaths. In . . . and out. In . . . and out. In . . .

An angry huff broke from her throat, interrupting the rhythm of her breathing. Who did Van think he was, telling her to stay here? She had warned him about a life-threatening situation, and he did the equivalent of telling her not to worry her pretty little head about it. Not that he had said she was pretty, but the look he'd had when he said they needed to talk . . .

Pushing the warm feelings that that memory invoked aside, she latched onto her anger. She had thought that now that he gave her warnings more credibility, he would stop treating her like she was fragile. Okay, so maybe she wasn't in the best condition right now, but that didn't mean there wasn't _something_ she could do.

Her eyes narrowed. If Mister High-and-Mighty King Van thought she was going to obey his every order, he had another thing coming. She had run away from it once, but she cared about Fanelia and its people, too. Nothing was going to keep her stuck in a room when they might need her most! Hitomi gave her head a sharp nod as she came to that decision.

Her spurt of anger was quickly replaced by reason. She'd been very ill for several months, and it had taken its toll. Even if she found her way to the scene of the fire, she would only be getting in the way. For everyone involved, it would be best for her to stay out of it. _This time_. But after she recovered, it would be another matter entirely. Van would have to learn that she wasn't the kind of person to sit around when people were in need, or they were going to have some problems.

She paused. She was thinking as though this return to Gaea was a permanent thing. Was her subconscious trying to tell her something? Or had she made her decision a long time ago, and just never admitted it, even to herself?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a banging noise in the hallway. Followed as it was by several more muffled thumps and some angry sounding words, she guessed it must have involved more than one person. Rising from the bed, she paused to get used to the action. It had been awhile since she'd had to support her own weight, and her legs trembled slightly with the effort.

But years of track had kept the months of immobility from causing too much damage. It wasn't long at all before she was crossing the room, her steps slow but steady. Reaching the door, she slowly pulled it open.

* * *

Corey groaned from the spot where he had landed after losing his balance. His position was far from what could be called comfortable. Both arms had been caught beneath him in a too-late attempt to break his fall. One leg was bent, the knee against the floor while his calf and foot climbed the wall. His other leg had escaped that fate by landing through the open doorway, but the luck of that was countered by the heavy weight that had come to rest on top of it.

With a bit of maneuvering, he managed to brace himself on his elbows. Twisting his head to look behind him, he saw the source of that weight slumped against the wall, a dazed expression on her face. Yukari groaned, raising a hand to her head.

"Ow," she muttered, gently probing a rising bump. Corey felt no sympathy as the beginnings of bruises made themselves known on his arms and legs. With a grunt, he tried to get to his feet. It wasn't happening. Yukari's weight was holding his one leg down, and the other was trapped in the small confines of the hall.

The injuries from the fall combined with his irritation over being detained put him in a less than tolerant mood. All he wanted was to get out of this hallway and find Merle before it was too late. He didn't know exactly what those men had planned, but he knew it couldn't be good. Every minute he was stuck here was another minute Merle was alone and scared, and maybe even hurt.

A rumble started in his throat at that thought, and he redoubled his efforts to move. This time, he twisted to the side and managed to get his leg off the wall. Another quick jerk and Yukari's rear hit the floor with a muffled thud. She groaned, giving him a glare, but he barely noticed.

"Jeez, it's not my fault you barreled out the door without paying any attention to where you were going. You don't have to get all rough," she chided him, still making no move to rise.

"Sorry," he bit out, getting to his knees. Gaining his feet, he headed towards the stairs. His foot came to rest on the top step just as a door behind him opened. Turning more on instinct than actual need to know who it was, he came face to face with his sister. The sight of her awake and aware stopped him in his tracks.

"Hitomi?" he breathed, conscious that his voice suddenly sounded very young. After so many months of seeing her pale and still in bed, it took a moment for him to get used to the change that had happened literally overnight. She looked so much more like the Hitomi he remembered, he felt tears sting behind his eyes. Blinking them back, he took a hesitant step forward.

She looked at him and a small smile curved her lips. "Hey, little brother."

Corey found himself speechless, all the things he had wanted to say to Hitomi had vanished completely from his mind. He was aware of only a single thought, running through his head in an ever-repeating loop.

'I did the right thing.'

For a moment suspended in time, he looked at her, and she looked back at him. To Corey, the world narrowed to just the two of them. Just two people acknowledging a gift given and accepted, and a fate that could not be avoided. In that moment, as he read the intent in her eyes, he admitted two things to himself.

The first was that Gaea and the people who inhabited it were vital to Hitomi's health and happiness. Whether the reverse of that was true, he didn't know. And it didn't matter. She was going to stay here, as she had always been meant to do.

The second thing he accepted was that he couldn't do the same. He saw a flash of sadness in Hitomi's eyes, almost as though she knew. Then again, he mused, she probably did. Mustering up an encouraging smile, he reassured himself, and her, that it wouldn't be forever. If there were ways to keep in contact, they would find them.

There was a scraping sound as Yukari finally got to her feet. Corey blinked as the connection that had hung between Hitomi and himself was broken. Looking at the grumbling redhead, he was reminded of their collision, and the reason for it. His earlier urgency returned with a vengeance, and he knew he had to get going. Turning back to his sister, he spoke words very similar to ones she had said to him not so long ago.

"Merle needs me." She nodded, and he knew she understood. With another quick smile tossed over his shoulder, he headed down the stairs as quickly as he could.

The dash through town was little more than a blur. All he could think of was Merle and the expression of fear on her face in his vision. The thought that someone could be hurting her at that moment made him lengthen his stride. He had never wished so feverishly that he had taken track like Hitomi.

He just couldn't be too late.

* * *

Hitomi found herself alone in the hall with her disgruntled best friend. Before she could speak, Yukari held up one hand to silence her. "Why is it that every time I think I'm all caught up with whatever's going on, something new happens that I don't understand?"

"Yukari, I know all of this must be really strange for you . . ." Hitomi began.

"Strange?" she answered in disbelief. "I think we passed strange quite awhile ago. Somewhere between the 'miraculous recovery' thing and the 'going to another planet' thing. And that's not even taking into account the whole 'So my best friend saved the world' thing that I had to learn from someone with no clue about personal space." She sighed, rubbing lightly at her forehead. "And now Corey's apparently off playing superhero and you have that woman-on-a-mission look, and I _know_ you're about to do something I'll probably get stuck in the middle of." She flung both arms out to the side in a gesture of hopeless confusion. "I just don't want to add 'feeling left out' to the amazingly long list of things that have happened to me in the past two days."

A part of Hitomi felt sorry that Yukari was now caught up in the whole situation. She remembered how confused and unnerved she'd felt in the beginning. All she'd wanted to do was go home and forgot that any of it had ever happened. But then she had come to know the people around her, and even call them friends. Her mindset had changed from wanting to save herself from having to deal with the circumstances, to wanting to help resolve those same circumstances for the sake of everyone involved. It had taken seeing the problems from the eyes of those caught up in them to make her understand.

Taking Yukari's arm, Hitomi lead her towards the stairs. She decided that the best way to explain was to start at the beginning, but they were going to do it somewhere other than in a hallway. She had plenty of time to go into details, and she wanted to be somewhere comfortable. Then she could just wait for the other person she had to have a talk with to return.

"It all started when I saw a boy in the middle of the track that no one else could see . . ."

* * *

Merle raced through the brush as quickly as her legs could carry her. She was giving it her all, and yet she could still hear the yells and running steps of those men. A sob tore from her throat as she felt hopelessness flood through her. This far in the woods, especially at this hour of the morning, there was no one who might help her. Van and the others would probably sleep late, and it could be hours before anyone noticed her absence. Dodging around a tree, she struggled to gain just a little more distance from the men. She didn't even know what she'd done to make them so angry.

Her unease from the night before had carried over into a troubled rest. After tossing and turning, she had finally risen a bit before dawn, sure that she wouldn't be getting any more sleep. When a search of the study didn't turn up anything to occupy her attention, she had come a decision.

Gathering her cloak and a basket for the supplies, she'd left early for the market. Knowing that it would be an hour or so before the sellers set up their booths, she chose to take a meandering route to pass the time. Leaving town from the eastern end, she intended to curve around in a wide, arcing path that would allow her to reenter from the west.

At least, that had been the plan. As she made her way along the path, her mind was anywhere but on where she was going. The next thing she knew, she'd slammed into something large and hard that gave an angry yell on contact. She landed on her backside in the middle of the path, slightly dazed.

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up to a distressing sight. Four rough looking men blocked the path, all of them staring at her. The largest of the troupe, and apparently the one she'd collided with, stood over her with a murderous look on his face. Even though it went against her nature, Merle found herself rushing to apologize. It had been an accident, but something told her this man wasn't going to let it ride at that.

For a long moment, he'd just stood there, staring at her. When her nerves had been stretched to the limit, she'd managed to mumble something about being on her way. His face had darkened and he'd grown more furious than before. Leaning down to where she was still sprawled on the trail, he'd gripped her chin with bruising force between his fingers. Fierce upward pressure had forced her to her feet, then onto her toes. All the while, the man stared at her, a livid expression on his face.

When her feet left the ground all together, she realized that if nothing stopped him, this man was going to kill her. Terror flooded through her veins as her breath was choked off. The edges of her vision began to go dark. It was pure survival instinct that had her kicking out her leg in a last ditch effort to get free.

It took a split second after he released his grip with a howl of pain for her to realize she was loose. After that, she was off like a shot into the forest. The small part of her mind that wasn't frozen with fear urged her to head for some type of cover. Now she was trapped on the wrong end of a pursuit, and she was beginning to tire. Running all out was meant for spurts, not a continuous dash. If she didn't come up with another plan, it was only a matter of time before she was caught.

A mewling cry tore from a throat already sore from rough, gasping breaths and gulping sobs. Merle could feel her muscles beginning to cramp. Her hands were stinging and bleeding from the rocky ground, and she was aware of more than one cut on her arms and legs from branches and rough bark. She couldn't keep this up for much longer and she knew it.

Just as that thought solidified in her mind, the ground disappeared from beneath her. There was a sickening feeling as her stomach lurched, then only the sensation of air passing her as she fell. She barely had time to realize what was happening before she slammed into the ground. The breath whooshed from her lungs, and for long moments, she struggled to inhale.

She never saw the blow coming.

A sharp pain exploded through the back of her head. The force of the attack sent her rolling forward. Merle knew she wouldn't be able to fight back. She was outnumbered four to one, and each of the men was twice her size. Add to that her exhausted state, and she was virtually helpless to defend herself. Curling into a tight ball, she wrapped her arms around her middle, and prayed it would be over soon.

A foot smashed with punishing force into her side, resulting in the release of her just caught breath. She couldn't even cry out, so intense was the pain. Images flashed through her mind. Van, finally happy again. Hitomi, curled by his side, a look of contentment on her sleeping face. Corey, smiling at her so kindly. Another hit came from the other side, landing on her thigh. She tensed, waiting for the next, but it never fell.

Merle would never know for sure how much time had passed. Everything was a blur in her mind, and she knew she had probably lost consciousness at some point. But the next thing she knew for sure, someone was beside her, calling her name.

At first, unable to move, she lay there, aching and terrified. A hand came to rest on her shoulder, causing her to flinch. The touch gentled, but didn't leave. The voice began speaking again.

"Merle? Merle. You have wake up now, okay? You have to tell me that you're all right. I couldn't have been too late. Please, please wake up!"

It sounded so familiar to her, that voice filled with such sorrow and uncertainty, but she couldn't place it. When her eyes fluttered open, her vision was blurry for a moment. When it cleared, she saw a boy with worried jade eyes looking back at her. There was a cut on his forehead, a smudge of dirt on his cheek, and he had a bloody lip. And his was still the most wonderful face she had ever seen.

"Corey?" she asked, hoping he was really there, sitting beside her, and not a figment of her imagination.

"Hey." He smiled, the expression on his face softening with relief. "Do you think you can get up, if I help?" When she nodded, he slipped an arm around her waist, supporting most of her weight as he helped her to her feet. She groaned once or twice, and he flinched each time. When she finally stood facing him, he looked into her eyes.

"I'm sorry." For a moment she was confused, unsure of why he was apologizing. But the expression on his face was so full of misery, she knew he thought he'd done something wrong.

"It's okay; you didn't do anything. It was the fall and those men . . ." For the first time, it occurred to Merle to look for the thugs. When she did, her jaw slackened in shock. Lying about on the ground, two of the men were obviously unconscious. The other two, including the one who had started it all, were nowhere to be seen. Turning back to Corey, she asked, "Did you . . ."

He looked a little embarrassed as color stained his cheeks. "It wasn't as big a thing as it might seem. I took karate for a bunch of years, and I don't think they've ever seen fighting like that before. Once I started taking care of those two, the others freaked out and ran. Though I really would have liked to get my hands on that one." His eyes narrowed and darkened, and she felt his hands tense where they rested on her waist. She watched as he ducked his head, not meeting her eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't get here soon enough to keep them from hurting you."

Merle heard the pain in his voice, and hurried to try and ease it. "From my point of view, your timing was just fine."

Still not looking at her, Corey shifted his position so one arm was curled around her waist. "We should be getting back. The others are probably wondering what's going on." Merle nodded, allowing him to help support her weight. As they walked slowly back towards town, they began to talk.

* * *

Hitomi was in the study, settled comfortably in one of the study's chairs. Early afternoon sunlight illuminated the cozy room, but she didn't notice. Her thoughts were on the other people in the house, and the one who had yet to return to it.

Corey had arrived back with a battered Merle, both of them looking surprisingly content for the situation they had just been through. When she would have asked questions, her little brother gave her a look that said he'd explain it all, just not then. Without a single word, the two retreated to the kitchen to care for their wounds.

Yukari had listened to her entire story, interrupting only a few times with cries of "No way!" and "That couldn't have really happened, could it?" Hitomi suppressed a smile as she remembered the stunned expression her friend had still been wearing when she left to take in all the things she'd been told.

Sighing a little, Hitomi idly twisted a strand of hair around her finger. She was glad Yukari had been brought along on this trip. It felt nice to know that someone else could understand what it was like to see this place that few others ever would. To know the wonder a world unseen, and appreciate it for its differences.

And maybe it would help her parents to understand why she was going to stay here if it could be explained to them from someone who had seen this place firsthand. It would take time, she knew, but eventually even her mother would see that leaving a place behind doesn't mean abandoning the people. After all, though her body had left Gaea, her mind, her soul, had always remained, waiting for her return.

And there were always visits, she assured herself. Though Corey would be going home with Yukari, she knew it wouldn't be forever. He had as strong a connection to this place as she had ever had, and it wouldn't be possible for him to remain gone for long. Who knew; maybe when he came home to Gaea to stay, he wouldn't be alone.

The sound of the door opening brought her thoughts to a halt and her body to its feet. She caught the scent of smoke and knew exactly who would be standing in the doorway. The lecture that had been brewing in her mind rose to her lips, and she turned to deliver it . . . Only to have it die a quick death as she saw Van.

Soot covered him from head to toe, dimming the colors of his clothing and probably hiding burns, as well. The only clear part on his face were the tracks left from smoke tears that had coursed down his cheeks. His hair was matted to his head with sweat, and she could see a tremor running through him as a sign of his weariness.

But even with all that, the moment his eyes landed on her, he smiled. Her breath caught in her chest at that smile, and tears misted her eyes. It occurred to her that she had been needlessly complicating something that was so very simple. Smiling back at him, Hitomi raced across the room and threw herself against Van's chest. He remained motionless for a surprised moment, but then his arms wrapped around her tightly.

Mindless of the grime and smell of smoke, Hitomi sighed in contentment. All that mattered was that she loved Van, and she knew that he loved her in return. After that, everything else was just details.

* * *

Final part, "**About the Future**", coming soon.


	15. Epilogue: About the Future

**Title:** When I Talk To You  
**Author:** Lady of the Ink  
**Pairing**: V/H, M/C  
**Category:** Suspense/Romance, with some good angst thrown in for flavor.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne, but you knew that. I hope. But I do own this story and all the plot twists it contains.

**Epilogue  
**_About the Future_

**

* * *

**

Hitomi straightened from her task, surveying the results of her handiwork with satisfaction. All the drapes had been pulled open and tied, letting in a brilliant wash of late morning sunlight. Most of the furniture had been moved to another room, and the pieces that remained had been positioned in short rows. She had placed vases around the room, though they were all empty for the moment. She was sure they'd look wonderful once the flowers a maid was collecting were arranged within them.

Wiping her dusty hands on the apron tied around her waist, Hitomi gave the room a final once over. Her critical eye found no problems. Everything looked perfect, as it should for a day as important as this one was. Dropping into a chair for a moment of rest, she let her mind drift over the changes the past six years had brought.

Fanelia had been rebuilt with the exception of the old castle. Plans for a new one were still being deliberated. Half the council wanted it to be the same as it had been before Zaibach's attack, as a memorial to the old way of life that had been lost. But the other half argued that to truly move into the future, they should build something new, a symbol of the country's rebirth. And so it went on, and would go on until a compromise was reached.

Hitomi was in no hurry to see it done. Once it was completed, Van would be expected to move there, and of course, she would go with him. Maybe in awhile it would be nice to have more space, especially given the impending circumstances. But for now, she was happy in the townhouse that had been their home.

'It isn't as though the house is the same as when I arrived,' she mused. 'That renovation two years ago really helped this place look great. The extra bedrooms and bigger dining room solved the problems we'd been having, and this study looks wonderful!'

She paid closer attention to the room where she sat, mentally cataloguing all the changes. The biggest difference was the new measurements. Now at almost twice the size it had been, it was a bright and airy place to work. The large windows made it even more comfortable, along with the wood paneling on the walls. Though she loved its new look, the former incarnation would always remain firmly in her memory as the setting of one of the greatest moments of her life.

A smile danced across her features as she remembered that afternoon that seemed to have happened ages ago, and yet was as fresh in her mind as though it had been just yesterday. How she had felt, warmly wrapped in Van's arms, while she told him of her intention to stay, if he didn't mind.

"Mind?" he had answered in a stunned voice. "It's what I've wanted for a long time!" A startled blush stained his cheeks as he realized what he had just admitted. Hitomi had smiled softly, reaching up to brush a hand across his cheek. Though she had known in her heart that he returned her feelings, it was still a special thing to hear the words. Knowing that Van had a hard time expressing his emotions, she also knew it might be awhile before it happened again.

That was one thing he had gotten better at, Hitomi acknowledged as she felt someone walk up behind her. An arm snaked around her shoulders at the same time as a warm kiss landed on her cheek.

"It's time," Van murmured, his lips close to her ear. Hitomi nodded, but remained unmoving. She wanted to savor this last moment of peace before everything turned hectic. There was still a long list of things that needed to be done, and very little time to do them. Once her parents and Corey arrived, there would be even more to accomplish.

"Merle?" she questioned softly.

"With the seamstress, seeing to the final alterations of the dresses. She said to go on without her." Apparently realizing that Hitomi wasn't planning on rising just yet, he moved to stand in front of her. Gently catching both her wrists, he pulled her to her feet, answering her groan of irritation with a chuckle. "You know that you told your parents you'd meet them when they got here. And unless you plan on running, we have to go now."

Letting her head drop onto his shoulder, Hitomi sighed. "My work here is never done. Lead on, your highness." They walked down the hall, Van's arm still about her shoulders. Stepping out the front door, Hitomi raised her eyes to the sky. It was bright and clear, with nothing to block her sight. Which was a very good thing, she thought to herself. While the blue light was a fast and effortless way to travel, its unpredictable landing zones remained something of an annoyance.

The thick grass was a springy cushion beneath their feet as they made their way off the main path. Their final destination was a hill that afforded a view for a good distance in all directions. It was the perfect place to await her family's arrival. She stood there, Van's arms around her, as her eyes kept watch. As long moments passed with no sign of them, however, her mind began to drift over her to do list.

Decorations: check. Since it had been decided to keep everything simple, it had taken little time to add the few touches of ornamentation. Flowers: check. By now they would have arrived and been placed in their vases. Dresses: check. The last fitting had gone well, and Merle was handling anything else that needed changed. Food: check. The little used cook was so excited about her moment of glory, she'd been working for days on the feast.

Hitomi felt Van move, and refocused on her surroundings just in time to catch the tail end of the column she'd been waiting for. A smile curved her lips as excitement thrummed through her. Her family was here.

Stepping forward, she hurried towards them. Laughter bubbled from her lips as she hugged her mother, then her father. Turning to Corey, she paused for a moment to really look at him. His eyes were sparkling and his cheeks were flushed. There was a smile on his lips that didn't seem to want to go away. Their gazes locked, and a very clear message passed between them.

Pulling him into her arms, Hitomi hugged him tightly. In voice that was just for him, she whispered, "Welcome home, little brother." He hugged her back, then pulled away. Shoving his hair off his forehead with an impatient hand, he looked around the clearing. His brow furrowed when he didn't find what, or rather who, he was looking for. He looked at Hitomi with a question on his face. At her affected air of ignorance, he mock-glowered at her. Making a point of turning to her mother, Hitomi couldn't stop her smile at Corey's sigh of exasperation.

Oh yes, she'd missed having her brother around.

Linking her left arm through her mother's and her right am through her father's, she started back toward town, leaving Van and Corey to trail along behind. There was the faint sound of their conversation, and Hitomi knew her brother was grilling Van for the answer to his question. Not that it would do him any good, she added with a mental chuckle. She watched as her parents looked around, and remembered what her first impression of this land had been. There was the same look of wonder on their faces that she was sure she had worn, an appreciation of the natural beauty and sense of peace.

Before long, they were back at the house. Deftly assigning duties, Hitomi sent Van to show Corey and her father what changes he had orchestrated in the town itself. This served a quadruple purpose. It kept Corey out of her hair, gave Van and her dad time to get acquainted, and would be the start of the townspeople seeing her parents around town. The fourth thing it accomplished was giving her some alone time with her mom.

Leading the older woman to the parlor, Hitomi waited until she was comfortably settled in a chair. Tilting her head to the side, she asked softly, "So?"

Mrs. Kanzaki sighed a little, and Hitomi tensed. What if after all the time she'd spent convincing her parents they'd love it here, they hated it on sight? Would she be able to handle them leaving so soon, and just when she needed them the most?

"I think I see why this place was, _is_ so important to you. "

Hitomi's head snapped around to look at her mother, amazement and confusion flowing through her. "What?!"

Mrs. Kanzaki smiled at her reaction. Reaching out, she took one of her daughter's hands in her own. "I never thought this place was somewhere awful; I just didn't want to like it because I knew it would take you away from me." When Hitomi would have interrupted, she was stopped by her mother's raised hand. "Now, wait just a moment. I'm not finished yet. I didn't want to think of this place as real, because then the threat of losing you and Corey would be real.

"But Gaea is where you belong, and I know that. It's in your blood; it's become a part of you. And I'm glad you have a home that is so close to your heart. And I'm even more glad that you're willing to share it with me, after all I did to keep you from it."

"Mom," Hitomi whispered.

"I know that you know I had the best of intentions, so I'm not trying to defend myself. I'm just saying thank you, for being the kind of person who could have forgiven for that. You make me so proud, and I'm glad you found the place where you belong."

Hitomi squeezed the hand she still held as tears misted her eyes. She had always known her mother would come to her side of things, but she'd never expected this kind of reaction. Then again, she had never expected her parents to agree to come and live on Gaea, either. When she'd lobbied for it in the beginning, it was half-hearted, not because she didn't want them there, but because she knew they probably wouldn't want to come. So when they'd explained that their lives were on Earth, she had given in gracefully, not wanting to push.

But as the day when Corey would finish school and come to Gaea permanently, Hitomi had been surprised at some of their questions. What was the weather like? The people? How would Van feel about visits and such? It soon became clear that they might have changed their minds.

A talk with Corey told Hitomi that he was sure they were interested in Gaea, but hesitant to bring it up. "It's like this, sis. They fought so hard to keep us away from it, going there would be sort of hypocritical. But I think if we give them enough encouragement, subtly, of course, they'd be willing to think it over. I mean, a lot of people retire to a far off place. Not that far off, but hey, details. It could be done, if they wanted it to happen."

And so it had. The plans had been set in motion months ago, and now were complete. To everyone back on earth, the Kanzaki's had simply retired to a place in the country to be closer to their children. It would be a change, but one they assured Hitomi and Corey that they were up for.

Smiling brightly at her mother, Hitomi rose to her feet. "Now that that's taken care of and I can stop worrying, I think it's time for us to see Merle."

Mrs. Kanzaki mirrored her daughter's action. "I agree." Looking at the angle of the light coming through the windows, she gave a start of surprise. "It's almost time, isn't it?"

Hitomi nodded. "It seemed to take forever for this day to come, but now time's just flying by. Now come on, we'd better get moving. And don't worry about Corey and dad. Van will have them back in plenty of time." Talking about the afternoon's plans, mother and daughter made their way up the stairs to the room where Merle was waiting with the dresses.

* * *

Merle was sitting by the window with her eyes closed, just focusing on the warmth of the sun hitting her skin. There was no reason for her to be nervous. Just because Corey and his parents had arrived, that didn't mean she needed to get all tense. A deep breath, and she felt calmer. She focused on the people she had caught a glimpse of through the window.

Mr. And Mrs. Kanzaki looked exactly like the pictures Hitomi had showed her of them. But the way they all walked together showed their closeness as a family. Merle supposed it was no surprise that they would choose to be near their children, when all was said and done. They seemed like the kind of people who would be kind and caring, so she wasn't worried about meeting them. The Kanzaki brother and sister spoke of them so often, she thought she had a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Corey, on the other hand, seemed to change every time she saw him, even if he had only been away for a month. First there was a growth spurt, bringing him to tower over her by a good six or seven inches. For a while he'd been lanky, all knees and elbows. But his next visit showed that he had filled out, making him seem incredibly solid. While he was away that time, he must have spent a good bit of time outdoors. His return showed off a deep tan and golden streaks through his hair that still remained.

And now that hair was longer, dipping into his face all the time. She didn't mind, though. He had picked up the habit of tipping his head to the side so it would move, making him look like he was always curious about something. She found the unconscious gesture incredibly endearing. But then again, there wasn't much about him that she didn't like.

A sound at the door had her straightening and turning in her seat. She relaxed slightly when Hitomi's head popped around the corner. A bright smile lit the older girl's face as she stepped into the room.

"Hey, Merle!"

Merle couldn't help but brighten at the enthusiasm in her friend's voice. She had a feeling Hitomi had guessed at her nervousness, and was trying to put her at ease. Working up a wan smile, she got to her feet just as Hitomi's mother stepped into the room. There was a moment of silence, and Merle felt some of her tension return.

It drained right out of her as Mrs. Kanzaki crossed the room, taking her hands. "It's so good to see you, Merle." Her smile was bright and friendly, with no hint of falseness. Returning the gesture, Merle knew she was going to like this woman.

A sound from below sent Hitomi darting to the window to sneak a look. A moment's observation had her turning back to the other women, an animated look on her face. "The boys are back," she sang out.

Mrs. Kanzaki laughed softly at the idea of her husband being referred to as a boy. "Then I guess that's our signal to start getting ready. Now, where are these dresses?"

As the other two started getting things together, Merle remained rooted to the spot. It was only a matter of minutes now before she would face Corey. Butterflies began swarming in her stomach and her hands felt clammy. She swallowed hard.

How was she supposed to make it through this afternoon?

**

* * *

**

Corey stood at the front of the study, wearing a new suit. Every few seconds he tugged at the tie, which seemed a little tight. Rocking back on his heels, he thrust his hands into his pockets, then immediately pulled them out again. He forced himself to stand still. He cracked his knuckles, then twisted to look at the stairs.

Shouldn't they be ready by now?

He took a deep breath, then almost choked on it as his mother came into view. She smiled, and then gave a thumbs up. Continuing down the stairs, she came to stand beside his father. He straightened, then looked at Van, who stood beside him. The young king seemed to be the epitome of calmness. Corey decided he wanted to hit him. Didn't he know he was supposed be nervous?

Hitomi began her walk down the stairs, wearing a simply styled, pastel green dress. It had a curved neckline edged in emerald green ribbon, and lace of the same shade around the knee length hem. Her hair had been fluffed up, and was held in place with two combs, one on either side. A soft smile played about her lips, and her cheeks were flushed, giving her an almost angelic appearance.

Corey heard Van sigh beside him, but his gaze was riveted on the person who followed his sister. The dress was a soft shade somewhere between pink and orange. It's skirt fell straight from the high waist, landing halfway down her calf. There were no other decorations, and none were needed. Her pink curls had been secured on top of her head, then allowed to cascade down again. There was a glint from the necklace fastened at her throat as sunlight caught the simple silver locket.

Corey felt his heart skip a beat as Merle walked slowly towards him. Catching her eyes, he saw his emotions reflected there. A little worry and fear, a lot of nervousness, some disbelief, but most of all, there was happiness. As she came to his side, he clasped her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. She returned the gesture, offering a smile that only wobbled a little.

From somewhere beside him, he heard Van begin the words that would bind them together, finishing what had begun years ago on a slow walk through a forest. Looking into Merle's blue eyes, he knew she was thinking the same thoughts.

_"Why are you doing this?" she asked, uncertainty threading her voice._

_"Doing what?"_

_"Being so nice. Taking care of me. I don't understand . . ."_

_"Don't you?" He paused, bringing her to a halt along with him. When he saw her nervousness, he decided to be as honest as he could. "I don't know what it is, but I know there's something between us. Maybe it's because Hitomi told me so much about you. Or maybe it's just because I've never met anyone like you. I'm not sure. But I have a feeling that there's the chance for something here. And I don't want to pass up on what could be the greatest thing to ever happen to me . . ."_

A spark of humor lit Merle's eyes, and Corey knew she was remembering her reaction to his brazen words.

_"Y . . .You're crazy! You shouldn't say things like that; we just met yesterday! That's hardly any time . . ." she spluttered. Her eyes widened as he drew a finger down her cheek. Her breath stuttered, then stopped completely at his next softly spoken declaration._

_"It's enough."_

Corey felt a tight feeling swell in his chest as the ceremony drew to a close. Who would have thought he'd have all this? A loving family together in a place that had waited for them to make it their home, and the one person that he wanted to share it all with. What more could he ask for?

Leaning forward, his lips met hers, a promise given that this was forever.

From across the room, Hitomi watched her little brother dance with her new sister. She sighed, relaxing against Van's chest. "Do you think they even remember that we're here?" she asked.

A chuckle vibrated against her back. "I doubt it." His arms tightened around her waist. "I know that at our wedding, all I saw was you. You're still all I see."

"That wouldn't be a comment on my weight, now would it, Fanel?" she asked tartly, knowing it wasn't. His hands came to rest on the swell of her stomach, gently shaping it. Beneath his touch lay his heir, but more importantly, a part of the love he shared with Hitomi, forever captured in their child.

"I wouldn't dream of it. All I meant was . . . When you're in a room, you're all I see. You . . . Become my everything," he explained hesitantly.

Turning in his arms, Hitomi placed a kiss on his lips. "I know," she told him tenderly. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she laid her head on his shoulder. Sure, actions could express a lot, but sometimes, you just had to hear the words.

_**The End **_

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Thanks:

A moment to thank anyone who has ever reviewed this fic. In order of appearance: NeoStar22, silver sea star, StarSapphireZ, Jennie, AngelsExist, Cous-cous, dancegoddess, R.T.A. Wings, Twin Star of Suzaku, Mullet-Revolution/ MaboroshiTsuki, R.D., Serena B., saski, WezL, Myra, SabineballZ, Raye-Rei, link no miko, sakura, Kriyn Drake, Waku-chan, Qwi-Xux, Kawaii Kokkei Tsuita no Neko, youjibaracuda, Hope Orr, GAMEACE, MysticalDreamer, Orestes, Nekochan614, & starhealer. You guys are so great! I'm not kidding when I say your reviews always made my day. Thank you! Special thanks to StarSapphireZ for hosting my work on her site.

Till next time, bye!


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